Jet Physics: Theoretical Overview

Abstract

I review the status of fixed order jet Monte Carlos and briefly discuss the prospects for next-to-next-to-leading order calculations. I present a general purpose next-to-leading order Monte Carlo program for four jet event shape observables in electron-positron annihilation and present some estimates of the light jet mass and narrow jet broadening distributions. Finally, I discuss an estimate of the strong coupling constant using the measured energy evolution of the average value of event shape variables such as thrust and heavy jet mass.

8 pages, LaTeX, 2 figures, uses moriond.sty (included), Contribution to ``QCD and High Energy Hadronic Interactions'', Moriond, Les Arcs, March 21-28, 1998