We develop a framework for a systematic resummation of the transverse momentum distribution of top-quark pairs produced at hadron colliders based on effective field theory. Compared to Drell-Yan and Higgs production, a novel soft function matrix is required to account for the soft gluon emissions from the final states. We calculate this soft function at the next-to-leading order, and perform the resummation at the next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. We compare our results with parton shower programs and with the experimental data at the Tevatron and the LHC. We also discuss the implications for the top quark charge asymmetry.

• Received 4 September 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.082001