Extending nuclear PDF analyses into the high- x , low- Q2 region

E P Segarra,A Accardi,T J Hobbs,T Ježo,M Klasen,K F Muzakka,F I Olness,C Keppel,J Y Yu,I Schienbein,K Kovařík,J G Morfín,O Hen,P Duwentäster,A Kusina

doi:10.1103/physrevd.103.114015

Abstract

We use the nCTEQ analysis framework to investigate nuclear Parton Distribution Functions (nPDFs) in the region of large x and intermediate-to-low $Q$, with special attention to recent JLab Deep Inelastic Scattering data on nuclear targets. This data lies in a region which is often excluded by $W$ and $Q$ cuts in global nPDF analyses. As we relax these cuts, we enter a new kinematic region, which requires new phenomenology. In particular, we study the impact of i) target mass corrections, ii) higher twist corrections, iii) deuteron corrections, and iv) the shape of the nuclear PDF parametrization at large-$x$ close to one. Using the above tools, we produce a new nPDF set (named nCTEQ15HIX) which yields a good description of the new JLab data in this challenging kinematic region, and displays reduced uncertainties at large $x$, in particular for up and down quark flavors.

Highlights

With the EIC and LHeC/FCC on the horizon, science is entering a new era of precision in the investigation of hadronic structure enabled by a flood of data from JLab, RHIC and the LHC
We begin by examining the operator product expansion (OPE) to determine what possible corrections we might encounter as we extend the kinematic region to high-x and low Q
parton distribution function (PDF) encode the dynamics of the strong interaction and provide a crucial link between experimental measurements and theoretical models

Summary

Introduction

With the EIC and LHeC/FCC on the horizon, science is entering a new era of precision in the investigation of hadronic structure enabled by a flood of data from JLab, RHIC and the LHC. While the study of proton PDFs has grown exceedingly precise, the need to extend this precision to the nuclear. Progress in studying QCD dynamics within nuclei has been demonstrated across a number of recent nuclear PDF (nPDF) analyses [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]. This data has the potential to furnish an improved understanding of hadronic and nuclear structure and interactions, and, in turn, new insights into QCD

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Conclusion