Radiative Corrections to γγ → WW in the Electroweak Standard Model

The cross-section for γγ → WW with arbitrary polarized photons and W bosons is calculated within the electroweak Standard Model including the complete virtual and softphotonic O(α) corrections. We present a detailed numerical discussion of the complete radiative corrections and an analytical investigation of the leading corrections. It turns out that in the on-shell renormalization scheme for fixed MW no leading corrections associated with the running of α or heavy top-quark and Higgs-boson masses occur. The corrections are typically of the order of 10%. They reach, however, larger values where the lowestorder cross-sections are suppressed. BI-TP 95/04 WUE-ITP-95-002 March 1995 On leave of absence from Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Supported by the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie, Bonn, Germany. Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.