Transverse Momentum Dependent Distribution Research Articles

Systematic analysis of double-scale evolution

Often the factorization of differential cross sections results in the definition of fundamental hadronic functions/distributions which have a double-scale evolution, as provided by a pair of coupled equations. Typically, the two scales are the renormalization and rapidity scales. The two-dimensional structure of their evolution is the object of the present study. In order to be more specific, we consider the case of the transverse momentum dependent distributions (TMD). Nonetheless, most of our findings can be used with other double-scale parton distributions. On the basis of the two-dimensional structure of TMD evolution, we formulate the general statement of the ζ-prescription introduced in [1], and we define an optimal TMD distribution, which is a scaleless model-independent universal non-perturbative function. Within this formulation the non-perturbative definition of the distribution is disentangled from the evolution, which clarifies the separation of perturbative and non-perturbative effects in the phenomenology. A significant part of this work is devoted to the study of the effects of truncation of perturbation theory on the double-scale evolution. We show that within truncated perturbation theory the solution of evolution equations is ambiguous and this fact generates extra uncertainties within the resummed cross-section. The alternatives to bypass this issue are discussed. Finally, we discuss the sources and distribution of the scale variation uncertainties.

Transverse momentum dependent transversely polarized distributions at next-to-next-to-leading-order

We calculate the matching of the transversity and pretzelosity transverse momentum dependent distributions (TMD) on transversity collinear distribution at the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO). We find that the matching coefficient for pretzelosity distribution is zero, despite the matrix element for it is nontrivial. This result suggests that the pretzelosity matches a twist-4 distribution. The matching for transversity TMD distributions is provided for both parton distribution functions and fragmentation functions cases.

Nonperturbative functions for SIDIS and Drell–Yan processes

We update the well-known BLNY fit to the low transverse momentum Drell–Yan lepton pair productions in hadronic collisions, by considering the constraints from the semi-inclusive hadron production in deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) from HERMES and COMPASS experiments. We follow the Collins–Soper–Sterman (CSS) formalism with the [Formula: see text]-prescription. A nonperturbative form factor associated with the transverse momentum dependent quark distributions is found in the analysis with a new functional form different from that of BLNY. This releases the tension between the BLNY fit to the Drell–Yan data with the SIDIS data from HERMES/COMPASS in the CSS resummation formalism.

Soft photon and two hard jets forward production in proton-nucleus collisions

We calculate the cross section for production of a soft photon and two hard jets in the forward rapidity region in proton-nucleus collisions at high energies. The calculation is performed within the hybrid formalism. The hardness of the final particles is defined with respect to the saturation scale of the nucleus. We consider both the correlation limit of small momentum imbalance and the dilute target limit where the momentum imbalance is of the order of the hardness of the jets. The results depend on the first two transversemomentum-dependent (TMD) gluon distributions of the nucleus.

The 3D Entangled Structure of the Proton: Transverse Degrees of Freedom in QCD, Momenta, Spins and More

Light-front quantized quark and gluon states (partons) play a dominant role in high energy scattering processes. Initial state hadrons are mixed ensembles of partons, while produced pure partonic states appear as mixed ensembles of hadrons. The transition from collinear hard physics to the 3D structure including partonic transverse momenta is related to confinement which links color and spatial degrees of freedom. We outline ideas on emergent symmetries in the Standard Model and their connection to the 3D structure of hadrons. Wilson loops, including those with light-like Wilson lines such as used in the studies of transverse momentum dependent distribution functions may play a crucial role here, establishing a direct link between transverse spatial degrees of freedom and gluonic degrees of freedom.

Analysis of vector boson production within TMD factorization

We present a comprehensive analysis and extraction of the unpolarized transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions, which are fundamental constituents of the TMD factorization theorem. We provide a general review of the theory of TMD distributions, and present a new scheme of scale fixation. This scheme, called the zeta -prescription, allows to minimize the impact of perturbative logarithms in a large range of scales and does not generate undesired power corrections. Within zeta -prescription we consistently include the perturbatively calculable parts up to next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO), and perform the global fit of the Drell–Yan and Z-boson production, which include the data of E288, Tevatron and LHC experiments. The non-perturbative part of the TMDs are explored checking a variety of models. We support the obtained results by a study of theoretical uncertainties, perturbative convergence, and a dedicated study of the range of applicability of the TMD factorization theorem. The considered non-perturbative models present significant differences in the fitting behavior, which allow us to clearly disfavor most of them. The numerical evaluations are provided by the arTeMiDe code, which is introduced in this work and that can be used for current/future TMD phenomenology.

Prompt photon-jet angular correlations at central rapidities in p+A collisions

Photon-jet azimuthal correlations in proton-nucleus collisions are a promising tool for gaining information on the gluon distribution of the nucleus in the regime of non-linear color fields. We compute such correlations from the process $g+A\to q \bar{q} \gamma$ in the rapidity regime where both the projectile and target light-cone momentum fractions are small. By integrating over the phase space of the quark which emits the photon, subject to the restriction that the photon picks up most of the transverse momentum (to pass an isolation cut), we effectively obtain a $g+A\to q \gamma$ process. For nearly back-to-back photon-jet configurations we find that it dominates over the leading order process $q+A\to q \gamma$ by two less powers of $Q_\perp / Q_S$, where $\boldsymbol{Q}_\perp$ and $Q_S$ denote the net photon-jet pair momentum and the saturation scale of the nucleus, respectively. We determine the transverse momentum dependent gluon distributions involved in $g+A\to q \gamma$ and the scale where they are evaluated. Finally, we provide analytic expressions for $\langle\cos n\phi\rangle$ moments, where $\phi$ is the angle between $\boldsymbol{Q}_\perp$ and the average photon-jet transverse momentum $\tilde{\boldsymbol{P}}_\perp$, and first qualitative estimates of their transverse momentum dependence.

The gluon structure of hadrons and nuclei from lattice QCD

I discuss recent lattice QCD studies of the gluon structure of hadrons and light nuclei. After very briefly highlighting new determinations of the gluon contributions to the nucleon’s momentum and spin, presented by several collaborations over the last year, I describe first calculations of gluon generalised form factors. The generalised transversity gluon distributions are of particular interest since they are purely gluonic; they do not mix with quark distributions at leading twist. In light nuclei they moreover provide a clean signature of non-nucleonic gluon degrees of freedom, and I present the first evidence for such effects, based on lattice QCD calculations. The planned Electron-Ion Collider, designed to access gluon structure quantities, will have the capability to test this prediction, and measure a range of gluon observables including generalised gluon distributions and transverse momentum dependent gluon distributions, within the next decade.

Collinear and TMD quark and gluon densities from parton branching solution of QCD evolution equations

We study parton-branching solutions of QCD evolution equations and present a method to construct both collinear and transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton densities from this approach. We work with next-to-leading-order (NLO) accuracy in the strong coupling. Using the unitarity picture in terms of resolvable and non-resolvable branchings, we analyze the role of the soft-gluon resolution scale in the evolution equations. For longitudinal momentum distributions, we find agreement of our numerical calculations with existing evolution programs at the level of better than 1% over a range of five orders of magnitude both in evolution scale and in longitudinal momentum fraction. We make predictions for the evolution of transverse momentum distributions. We perform fits to the high-precision deep inelastic scattering (DIS) structure function measurements, and we present a set of NLO TMD distributions based on the parton branching approach.

Global extraction of partonic transverse momentum distributions from semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan data

We discuss a first attempt at a global extraction of unpolarized partonic transverse momentum dependent (TMD) distributions and fragmentation functions from a simultaneous fit of data measured in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering, Drell–Yan and Z boson production. This analysis is performed in the low transverse momentum region, at leading order in perturbative QCD. To connect data at different scales, we use TMD evolution at next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy.

Positivity bounds on gluon TMDs for hadrons of spin \u2264 1

We consider the transverse momentum dependent gluon distribution functions (called gluon TMDs) by studying the light-front gluon-gluon correlator, extending the results for unpolarized and vector polarized targets to also include tensor polarized targets — the latter type of polarization is relevant for targets of spin ≥ 1. The light-front correlator includes process-dependent gauge links to guarantee color gauge invariance. As from the experimental side the gluon TMDs are largely unknown, we present positivity bounds for combinations of leading-twist gluon distributions that may be used to estimate their maximal contribution to observables. Since the gluonic content of hadrons is particularly relevant in the small-x kinematic region, we also study these bounds in the small-x limit for the dipole-type gauge link structure using matrix elements of a single Wilson loop.

Double parton scattering in the CGC: Double quark production and effects of quantum statistics

We consider forward inclusive production of two quarks in the high energy p-A collisions in the CGC formalism. We demonstrate that the production cross-section is determined by the convolution of the proton generalized double transverse momentum-dependent distribution (2GTMD) functions with two independent eikonal scattering amplitudes: the product of two dipoles and a quadrupole. We explicitly demonstrate that the quadrupole amplitude term accounts for all the (initial and final state) effects of quantum statistics for identical fermions, and the correlations due to these effects. We also demonstrate that the effects due to quantum statistics (entirely encoded in the quadrupole) are parametrically leading contributions to the correlated particle production at large $N_c$. For non-identical quarks the quadrupole term also leads to correlated production which has characteristics similar to the HBT effect.

QCD predictions for the azimuthal asymmetry in charm leptoproduction for the COMPASS kinematics

We present the QCD predictions for the azimuthal cos⁡2φ asymmetry in charm leptoproduction for the kinematics of the COMPASS experiment at CERN. The asymmetry is predicted to be large, about 15%. The radiative corrections to the QCD predictions for the cos⁡2φ distribution are estimated to be small, less than 10%. Our calculations show that the azimuthal asymmetry in charm production is well defined in pQCD: it is stable both perturbatively and parametrically, and practically insensitive to theoretical uncertainties in the input parameters. We analyze the nonperturbative contributions to the cos⁡2φ distribution due to the gluon transverse motion in the target and the c-quark fragmentation. Because of the c-quark low mass, the nonperturbative contributions are expected to be sizable, about (30–40)%. We conclude that extraction of the azimuthal asymmetries from available COMPASS data will provide valuable information about the transverse momentum dependent distribution of the gluon in the proton and the c-quark hadronization mechanism. Finally, we discuss the cos⁡2φ asymmetry as a probe of the gluonic analogue of the Boer–Mulders function, h1⊥g, describing the linear polarization of gluons inside unpolarized proton.

Transverse momentum dependent quark and gluon distributions of light nuclei

We investigate the unpolarized transverse momentum dependent (TMD) structure of light nuclei in the modified chiral quark exchange model (QEM), for the first time. To this end, we calculate the TMD quark and gluon distributions inside the bound state nucleons of the light nuclei based on the modified chiral quark model in which the TMD bare quark distributions of the bounded nucleons are needed. In order to compute these bare distributions, we first obtain the bare quark momentum densities using the QEM and then calculate the TMD bare distributions applying a theoretical method in which the light-cone variables are used. Finally, considering the nucleon structure of helium, tritium and deuteron nuclei, we obtain their TMD quark and gluon densities at low Q2 scale. It is shown that our results have appropriate properties that are expected for the TMD distribution functions.

Target mass effects in parton quasi-distributions

We study the impact of non-zero (and apparently large) value of the nucleon mass M on the shape of parton quasi-distributions Q(y,p3), in particular on its change with the change of the nucleon momentum p3. We observe that the usual target-mass corrections induced by the M-dependence of the twist-2 operators are rather small. Moreover, we show that within the framework based on parametrizations by transverse momentum dependent distribution functions (TMDs) these corrections are canceled by higher-twist contributions. We identify a novel source of kinematic target-mass dependence of TMDs and build models corrected for such dependence. We find that resulting changes may be safely neglected for p3≳2M.

Boer-Mulders function of the pion and the qT -weighted cos2φ asymmetry in the unpolarized π−p Drell-Yan process at COMPASS

We calculate the two leading-twist transverse momentum dependent distribution functions of the pion meson, the unpolarized distribution $f_{1\pi}(x,\bm{k}^2_T)$ and the Boer-Mulders function $h_{1\pi}^\perp (x,\bm{k}^2_T)$, using the pion wave functions derived from a light-cone approach. The evolution effect of the first $\bm k_T$-moment of the pion Boer-Mulders function is studied by employing an approximate evolution kernel. Using the model resulting distributions, we predict the transverse momentum weighted $\cos2\phi$ azimuthal asymmetry in the unpolarized $\pi^- p$ Drell-Yan process which can be measured at COMPASS in the near future.

Associated production of a dilepton and a ϒ(J/ψ) at the LHC as a probe of gluon transverse momentum dependent distributions

We discuss the impact on the study of gluon transverse momentum dependent distributions (TMDs) of the associated production of a lepton pair and a ϒ (or a J/ψ) in unpolarised proton–proton collisions, pp→Qℓℓ¯X, at LHC energies, where one can assume that such final states are dominantly induced by gluon fusion. If the transverse momentum of the quarkonium–dilepton system – namely, the transverse momentum imbalance of the quarkonium state and the lepton pair – is small, the corresponding cross sections can be calculated within the framework of TMD factorisation. Using the helicity formalism, we show in detail how these cross sections are connected to the moments of two independent TMDs: the distribution of unpolarised gluons, f1g, and the distribution of linearly polarised gluons, h1⊥g. We complete our exhaustive derivation of these general relations with a phenomenological analysis of the feasibility of the TMD extraction, as well as some outlooks.

Pion distribution amplitude and quasidistributions

We extend our analysis of quasidistributions onto the pion distribution amplitude. Using the formalism of parton virtuality distribution amplitudes, we establish a connection between the pion transverse momentum dependent distribution amplitude $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Psi}}(x,{k}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}^{2})$ and the pion quasidistribution amplitude (QDA) ${Q}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}(y,{p}_{3})$. We build models for the QDAs from the virtuality-distribution-amplitude-based models for soft transverse momentum dependent distribution amplitudes, and analyze the ${p}_{3}$ dependence of the resulting QDAs. As there are many models claimed to describe the primordial shape of the pion distribution amplitude, we present the ${p}_{3}$-evolution patterns for models producing some popular proposals: Chernyak-Zhitnitsky, flat, and asymptotic distribution amplitude. Our results may be used as a guide for future studies of the pion distribution amplitude on the lattice using the quasidistribution approach.

Twist-2 matching of transverse momentum dependent distributions

We systematically study the large-qT (or small-b) matching of transverse momentum dependent (TMD) distributions to the twist-2 integrated parton distributions. Performing operator product expansion for a generic TMD operator at the next-to-leading order (NLO) we found the complete set of TMD distributions that match twist-2. These are unpolarized, helicity, transversity, pretzelosity and linearly polarized gluon distributions. The NLO matching coefficients for these distributions are presented. The pretzelosity matching coefficient is zero at the presented order, however, it is evident that it is non-zero in the following orders. This result offers a natural explanation of the small value of pretzelosity found in phenomenological fits. We also demonstrate that the cancellation of rapidity divergences by the leading order soft factor imposes the necessary requirement on the Lorentz structure of TMD operators, which is supported only by the TMD distributions of leading dynamical twist. Additionally, this requirement puts restrictions on the γ5-definition in the dimensional regularization.

Parametrization of the Transverse Momentum Dependent Light-Front Correlator for Gluons

We study the transverse momentum dependent light-front correlator for gluons. At the operator level this is expressed as a matrix element containing nonlocal field strength operators and gauge links bridging the nonlocality. We parametrize the leading (twist-2) gluon–gluon correlator in terms of transverse momentum dependent distribution functions for unpolarized, vector and tensor polarized targets (the latter being relevant for spin-1 targets). For a tensor polarized target there are eleven functions among which two are time reversal odd. We discuss bounds on some functions which might become useful for future applications.