W + W − pair production in proton-proton collisions: small missing terms

W + W − production is one of the golden channels for testing the Standard Model as well for searches beyond the Standard Model. We discuss many new subleading processes for inclusive production of W + W − pairs generally not included in the literature so far. We focus on photon-photon induced processes. We include elastic-elastic, elastic-inelastic, inelastic-elastic and inelastic-inelastic contributions. We also calculate the contributions with resolved photons including the partonic substructure of the virtual photon. Predictions for the total cross section and differential distributions in W-boson rapidity and transverse momentum as well as WW invariant mass are presented. The γγ components constitute only about 1-2 % of the inclusive W + W − cross section but increases up to about 10 % at large W ± transverse momenta, and are even comparable to the dominant $$ q\overline{q} $$ component at large M WW , i.e. are much larger than the gg → W + W − one.

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