Unpolarized Structure Research Articles

FPF@FCC: neutrino, QCD, and BSM physics opportunities with far-forward experiments at a 100 TeV Proton Collider

Proton-proton collisions at energy-frontier facilities produce an intense flux of high-energy light particles, including neutrinos, in the forward direction. At the LHC, these particles are currently being studied with the far-forward experiments FASER/FASERν and SND@LHC, while new dedicated experiments have been proposed in the context of a Forward Physics Facility (FPF) operating at the HL-LHC. Here we present a first quantitative exploration of the reach for neutrino, QCD, and BSM physics of far-forward experiments integrated within the proposed Future Circular Collider (FCC) project as part of its proton-proton collision program (FCC-hh) at s ≃ 100 TeV. We find that 109 electron/muon neutrinos and 107 tau neutrinos could be detected, an increase of several orders of magnitude compared to (HL-)LHC yields. We study the impact of neutrino DIS measurements at the FPF@FCC to constrain the unpolarised and spin partonic structure of the nucleon and assess their sensitivity to nuclear dynamics down to x ∼ 10−9 with neutrinos produced in proton-lead collisions. We demonstrate that the FPF@FCC could measure the neutrino charge radius for νe and νμ and reach down to five times the SM value for ντ. We fingerprint the BSM sensitivity of the FPF@FCC for a variety of models, including dark Higgs bosons, relaxion-type scenarios, quirks, and millicharged particles, finding that these experiments would be able to discover LLPs with masses as large as 50 GeV and couplings as small as 10−8, and quirks with masses up to 10 TeV. Our study highlights the remarkable opportunities made possible by integrating far-forward experiments into the FCC project, and it provides new motivation for the FPF at the HL-LHC as an essential precedent to optimize the forward physics experiments that will enable the FCC to achieve its full physics potential.

The massless three-loop Wilson coefficients for the deep-inelastic structure functions F2, FL, xF3 and g1

We calculate the massless unpolarized Wilson coefficients for deeply inelastic scattering for the structure functions F2(x, Q2), FL(x, Q2), xF3(x, Q2) in the overline{textrm{MS}} scheme and the polarized Wilson coefficients of the structure function g1(x, Q2) in the Larin scheme up to three-loop order in QCD in a fully automated way based on the method of arbitrary high Mellin moments. We work in the Larin scheme in the case of contributing axial-vector couplings or polarized nucleons. For the unpolarized structure functions we compare to results given in the literature. The polarized three-loop Wilson coefficients are calculated for the first time. As a by-product we also obtain the quarkonic three-loop anomalous dimensions from the O(1/ε) terms of the unrenormalized forward Compton amplitude. Expansions for small and large values of the Bjorken variable x are provided.

Actin-driven Golgi apparatus dispersal during collective migration of epithelial cells

As a sedentary epithelium turns motile during wound healing, morphogenesis, and metastasis, the Golgi apparatus moves from an apical position, above the nucleus, to a basal position. This apical-to-basal repositioning of Golgi is critical for epithelial cell migration. Yet the molecular mechanism underlying it remains elusive, although microtubules are believed to play a role. Using live-cell and super-resolution imaging, we show that at the onset of collective migration of epithelial cells, Golgi stacks get dispersed to create an unpolarized transitional structure, and surprisingly, this dispersal process depends not on microtubules but on actin cytoskeleton. Golgi-actin interaction involves Arp2/3-driven actin projections emanating from the actin cortex, and a Golgi-localized actin elongation factor, MENA. While in sedentary epithelial cells, actin projections intermittently interact with the apically located Golgi, and the frequency of this event increases before the dispersion of Golgi stacks, at the onset of cell migration. Preventing Golgi-actin interaction with MENA-mutants eliminates Golgi dispersion and reduces the persistence of cell migration. Taken together, we show a process of actin-driven Golgi dispersion that is mechanistically different from the well-known Golgi apparatus fragmentation during mitosis and is essential for collective migration of epithelial cells.

Isospin asymmetry and quantum statistical interpretation of nucleons

In this paper, a statistical model introducing analytical expressions of [Formula: see text] dependent quantum statistical parton distributions is presented to explore proton and neutron structures. A merely theoretical maximum entropy method is applied to obtain thermodynamical variables determining parton distributions accurately. This study provides considering proton and neutron isospin asymmetry in order to improve the consistency of the framework achievements with the experimental results. The presented approach is extended to evaluate modified neutron structure in an [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] state. Also, the uniqueness of gluon distribution in proton and neutron is surveyed for both cases of lonely nucleon and [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] system. Eventually, the predicted unpolarized structure functions and the spin structure functions, only based on the maximum entropy method, are compared to CERN, HERMES, SLAC and the other data sets. Finally, the correlation of the obtained distributions with the experimental observations confirms the proposed statistical model.

Analytical perturbation theory and nucleon structure function in infrared region

We employ the analytic QCD (anQCD) approach to analyze the unpolarized nucleon structure function in deep inelastic scattering processes at next-to-leading-order accuracy. Considering the unreliable results of the underlying perturbative QCD (pQCD) at energy scales near to QCD cut off parameter ${Q}^{2}\ensuremath{\sim}{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}^{2}$ and below, we modify the calculations at these scales using the anQCD approach and compare them with results from underlying pQCD and the available experimental data. The massive perturbation theory model is also used where an effective mass is attributed to gluons. Finally, we use the Jacobi polynomials formalism to transfer the calculations from Mellin moment space to Bjorken-$x$ space. To confirm the validity of the anQCD approach the Gottfried sum rule is also investigated. The achieved numerical results at low energy scales are compatible with what is expected and correspond to an admissible behavior of parton densities.

High-energy operator product expansion at sub-eikonal level

The high energy Operator Product Expansion for the product of two electromagnetic currents is extended to the sub-eikonal level in a rigorous way. I calculate the impact factors for polarized and unpolarized structure functions, define new distribution functions, and derive the evolution equations for unpolarized and polarized structure functions in the flavor singlet and non-singlet case.

Determination of Quantum Capacitance of Niobium Nitrides Nb2N and Nb4N3 for Supercapacitor Applications

The density of states and quantum capacitance of pure and doped Nb2N and Nb4N3 single-layer and multi-layer bulk structures are investigated using density functional theory calculations. The calculated value of quantum capacitance is quite high for pristine Nb2N and decent for Nb4N3 structures. However for cobalt-doped unpolarized structures, significant increase in quantum capacitance at Fermi level is observed in the case of Nb4N3 as compared to minor increase in case of Nb2N. These results show that pristine and doped Nb2N and Nb4N3 can be preferred over graphene as the electrode material for supercapacitors. The spin and temperature dependences of quantum capacitance for these structures are also investigated.

Chiral Soliton Models and Nucleon Structure Functions

We outline and review the computations of polarized and unpolarized nucleon structure functions within the bosonized Nambu-Jona-Lasinio chiral soliton model. We focus on a consistent regularization prescription for the Dirac sea contribution and present numerical results from that formulation. We also reflect on previous calculations on quark distributions in chiral quark soliton models and attempt to put them into perspective.

Future Tests of Parton Distributions

We discuss a test of the generalization power of the methodology used in the determination of parton distribution functions (PDFs). The "future test" checks whether the uncertainty on PDFs, in regions in which they are not constrained by current data, are compatible with future data. The test is performed by using the current optimized methodology for PDF determination, but with a limited dataset, as available in the past, and by checking whether results are compatible within uncertainty with the result found using a current more extensive dataset. We use the future test to assess the generalization power of the NNPDF4.0 unpolarized PDF and the NNPDFpol1.1 polarized PDF methodology. Specifically, we investigate whether the former would predict the rise of the unpolarized proton structure function $F_2$ at small $x$ using only pre HERA data, and whether the latter would predict the so-called "proton spin crisis" using only pre-EMC data.

Forward doubly-virtual Compton scattering off the nucleon in chiral perturbation theory: The subtraction function and moments of unpolarized structure functions

The forward doubly-virtual Compton scattering (VVCS) off the nucleon contains a wealth of information on nucleon structure, relevant to the calculation of the two-photon-exchange effects in atomic spectroscopy and electron scattering. We report on a complete next-to-leading-order (NLO) calculation of low-energy VVCS in chiral perturbation theory ($\chi$PT). Here we focus on the unpolarized VVCS amplitudes $T_1(\nu, Q^2)$ and $T_2(\nu, Q^2)$, and the corresponding structure functions $F_1(x, Q^2)$ and $F_2(x,Q^2)$. Our results are confronted, where possible, with "data-driven" dispersive evaluations of low-energy structure quantities, such as nucleon polarizabilities. We find significant disagreements with dispersive evaluations at very low momentum-transfer $Q$; for example, in the slope of polarizabilities at zero momentum-transfer. By expanding the results in powers of the inverse nucleon mass, we reproduce the known "heavy-baryon" expressions. This serves as a check of our calculation, as well as demonstrates the differences between the manifestly Lorentz-invariant (B$\chi$PT) and heavy-baryon (HB$\chi$PT) frameworks.

Unpolarized and spin-dependent DIS structure functions in Double-Logarithmic Approximation

We demonstrate how to calculate perturbative components of the structure functions F1 (for unpolarized DIS) and gi (spin-dependent DIS) in Double-Logarithmic Approximation, studying separately the cases of fixed and running QCD coupling. We show that as long as only ladder graphs are accounted for (throughout the talk we use the Feynman gauge for virtual gluons) there is no difference at all between F1 and g1. However, accounting for contributions of non-ladder graphs brings an essential difference between them. Applying Saddle-Point method to expressions for F1 and g1, we obtain their small-x asymptotics. The both asymptotics are of the Regge kind but with different intercepts. The intercept of F1 proved to be greater than unity, so it is a new contribution to Pomeron. We show the reason for the g1 intercept should be less than the one of F1 and thereby argue against using model Pomerons in the spin-dependent processes. Finally, we discuss the applicability region of Regge asymptotics.

Structure functions at small x from worldlines: Unpolarized distributions

The world-line representation of quantum field theory is a powerful framework for the computation of perturbative multi-leg Feynman amplitudes. In particular, in gauge theories, it provides an efficient way, via point particle Grassmann functional integrals, to compute spinor and color traces in these amplitudes. Further, semi-classical approximations to quantum mechanical world-line trajectories provide useful intuition in a wide range of dynamical problems. We develop here the world-line approach to compute deeply inelastic structure functions in the small x Regge limit of QCD. In particular, in a shockwave approximation valid in this limit, we show how one recovers the well-known dipole model for unpolarized structure functions. In a follow-up work, we will discuss the world-line computation of polarized structure functions at small x.

Quark Hadron Duality in Unpolarized Structure Functions

Quark hadron duality establishes an intriguing connection between medium and high energy physics by identifying, in certain cases, dual descriptions of observables either in terms of explicit quark degrees of freedom or as averages over hadronic variables. Duality has been studied extensively in inclusive electron scattering experiments at Jefferson Lab. The present talk is an overview of these results for unpolarized structure functions for proton, neutron, and nuclei.

Two-Photon Exchange Correction in Elastic Lepton–Proton Scattering

We present the dispersion relation approach based on unitarity and analyticity to evaluate the two-photon exchange contribution to elastic electron-proton scattering. The leading elastic and first inelastic $\pi N$ intermediate state contributions are accounted for in the region of small momentum transfer $Q^2 < 1~\mathrm{GeV}^2$ based on the available data input. The novel methods of analytical continuation allow us to exploit the MAMI form factor data and the MAID parameterization for the pion electroproduction amplitudes as input in the calculation. The results are compared to the recent CLAS, VEPP-3 and OLYMPUS data as well as to the full two-photon exchange correction in the near-forward approximation, which is based on the Christy and Bosted unpolarized structure functions fit. Additionally, predictions are given for a forthcoming muon-proton scattering experiment.

Phenomenological Behavior of the Hard Pomeron Intercept

The hard pomeron intercept value is determined by the decoupling solutions of the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) evolution equations at low-x. The unpolarized proton structure functions at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) analysis are calculated and compared with new Hadron-Electron Ring Accelerator (HERA) data.

Sum rules across the unpolarized Compton processes involving generalized polarizabilities and moments of nucleon structure functions

We derive two new sum rules for the unpolarized doubly virtual Compton scattering process on a nucleon, which establish novel low-$Q^2$ relations involving the nucleon's generalized polarizabilities and moments of the nucleon's unpolarized structure functions $F_1(x,Q^2)$ and $F_2(x,Q^2)$. These relations facilitate the determination of some structure constants which can only be accessed in off-forward doubly virtual Compton scattering, not experimentally accessible at present. We perform an empirical determination for the proton and compare our results with a next-to-leading-order chiral perturbation theory prediction. We also show how these relations may be useful for a model-independent determination of the low-$Q^2$ subtraction function in the Compton amplitude, which enters the two-photon-exchange contribution to the Lamb shift of (muonic) hydrogen. An explicit calculation of the $\Delta(1232)$-resonance contribution to the muonic-hydrogen $2P-2S$ Lamb shift yields $-1 \pm 1$ $\mathsf\mu$eV, confirming the previously conjectured smallness of this effect.

Target and double spin asymmetries of deeply virtual π0 production with a longitudinally polarized proton target and CLAS

The target and double spin asymmetries of the exclusive pseudoscalar channel e→p→→epπ0 were measured for the first time in the deep-inelastic regime using a longitudinally polarized 5.9 GeV electron beam and a longitudinally polarized proton target at Jefferson Lab with the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). The data were collected over a large kinematic phase space and divided into 110 four-dimensional bins of Q2, xB, −t and ϕ. Large values of asymmetry moments clearly indicate a substantial contribution to the polarized structure functions from transverse virtual photon amplitudes. The interpretation of experimental data in terms of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) provides the first insight on the chiral-odd GPDs H˜T and ET, and complement previous measurements of unpolarized structure functions sensitive to the GPDs HT and E¯T. These data provide a crucial input for parametrizations of essentially unknown chiral-odd GPDs and will strongly influence existing theoretical calculations based on the handbag formalism.

Two-photon exchange correction to muon–proton elastic scattering at low momentum transfer

We evaluate the two-photon exchange (TPE) correction to the muon-proton elastic scattering at small momentum transfer. Besides the elastic (nucleon) intermediate state contribution, which is calculated exactly, we account for the inelastic intermediate states by expressing the TPE process approximately through the forward doubly virtual Compton scattering. The input in our evaluation is given by the unpolarized proton structure functions and by one subtraction function. For the latter, we provide an explicit evaluation based on a Regge fit of high-energy proton structure function data. It is found that, for the kinematics of the forthcoming muon-proton elastic scattering data of the MUSE experiment, the elastic TPE contribution dominates, and the size of the inelastic TPE contributions is within the anticipated error of the forthcoming data.

Pump polarization insensitive and efficient laser-diode pumped Yb:KYW ultrafast oscillator.

We theoretically and experimentally report and evaluate a novel split laser-diode (LD) double-end pumped Yb:KYW ultrafast oscillator aimed at improving the performance of an ultrafast laser. Compared to a conventional unpolarized single-LD end-pumped ultrafast laser system, we improve the laser performance such as absorption efficiency, slope efficiency, cw mode-locking threshold, and output power by this new structure LD-pumped Yb:KYW ultrafast laser. Experiments were carried out with a 1 W output fiber-coupled LD. Experimental results show that the absorption increases from 38.7% to 48.4%, laser slope efficiency increases from 18.3% to 24.2%, cw mode-locking threshold decreases 12.7% from 630 to 550 mW in cw mode-locking threshold, and maximum output-power increases 28.5% from 158.4 to 221.5 mW when we switch the pump scheme from an unpolarized single-end pumping structure to a split LD double-end pumping structure.

Two-photon exchange correction in elastic unpolarized electron-proton scattering at small momentum transfer

We evaluate the two-photon exchange (TPE) correction to the unpolarized elastic electron-proton scattering at small momentum transfer $ Q^2 $. We account for the inelastic intermediate states approximating the double virtual Compton scattering by the unpolarized forward virtual Compton scattering. The unpolarized proton structure functions are used as input for the numerical evaluation of the inelastic contribution. Our calculation reproduces the leading terms in the $ Q^2 $ expansion of the TPE correction and goes beyond this approximation by keeping the full $ Q^2 $ dependence of the proton structure functions. In the range of small momentum transfer, our result is in good agreement with the empirical TPE fit to existing data.