Radiative corrections to neutral pion-pair production

We calculate the one-photon loop radiative corrections to the neutral pion-pair photoproduction process π^-γ→π^-π⁰π⁰. At leading order this reaction is governed by the chiral pion-pion interaction. Since the chiralπ⁺π^-→π⁰π⁰ contact vertex depends only on the final-state invariant mass it factors out of all photon loop diagrams. We give analytical expressions for the multiplicative correction factor R ~ α/2πarising from eight classes of contributing one-photon loop diagrams. An electromagnetic counterterm has to be included in order to cancel the ultraviolet divergences generated by the photon loops. Infrared finiteness of the virtual radiative corrections is achieved (in the standard way) by including soft photon radiation below an energy cut-offλ. The radiative corrections to the total cross-section vary between +2% and -2% for center-of-mass energies from threshold up to 7m_π. We study also the radiative corrections to the π⁰π⁰ mass spectrum.