The Threshold t-tbar Cross Section at NNLL Order

The total cross section for top quark pair production close to threshold in e+e- annihilation is investigated. Details are given about the calculation at next-to-next-to-leading logarithmic order. The summation of logarithms leads to a convergent expansion for the normalization of the cross section, and small residual dependence on the subtraction parameter nu. A detailed analysis of the residual nu dependence is carried out. A conservative estimate for the remaining uncertainty in the normalization of the total cross section from QCD effects is $\lesssim \pm 3%$. This makes precise extractions of the strong coupling and top width feasible, and further studies of electroweak effects mandatory.