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Motivated by the wide range of kinematics covered by current and planned deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) facilities, we revisit the formalism, practical implementation, and numerical impact of target mass corrections (TMCs) for DIS on unpolarized nuclear targets. An important aspect is that we only use nuclear and later partonic degrees of freedom, carefully avoiding a picture of the nucleus in terms of nucleons. After establishing that formulae used for individual nucleon targets $(p,n)$, derived in the Operator Product Expansion (OPE) formalism, are indeed applicable to nuclear targets, we rewrite expressions for nuclear TMCs in terms of re-scaled (or averaged) kinematic variables. As a consequence, we find a representation for nuclear TMCs that is approximately independent of the nuclear target. We go on to construct a single-parameter fit for all nuclear targets that is in good numerical agreement with full computations of TMCs. We discuss in detail qualitative and quantitative differences between nuclear TMCs built in the OPE and the parton model formalisms, as well as give numerical predictions for current and future facilities., Comment: 92 pages (including two appendices and references), many plots and figures, comments welcomed

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 introduces 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.

Extraction of the multi-TeV proton and lead LHC beams with a bent crystal or by using an internal gas target allows one to perform the most energetic fixed-target experiment ever. pp, pd and pA collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 115 GeV and Pbp and PbA collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm{NN}}}$ = 72 GeV can be studied with high precision and modern detection techniques over a broad rapidity range. Using the LHCb or the ALICE detector in a fixed-target mode offers unprecedented possibilities to access heavy-flavour production in a new energy domain, half way between the SPS and the nominal RHIC energy. In this contribution, a review of projection studies for quarkonium and open charm and beauty production with both detector set-ups used with various nuclear targets and the LHC lead beams is presented., Hard Probes 2020 proceedings

The strong force which binds hadrons is described by the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Determining the character and manifestations of QCD is one of the most important and challenging outstanding issues necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the structure of hadrons. Within the context of the QCD parton picture, the Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) have been remarkably successful in describing a wide variety of processes. However, these PDFs have generally been confined to the description of collinear partons within the hadron. New experiments and facilities provide the opportunity to additionally explore the transverse structure of hadrons which is described by Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) and Transverse Momentum Dependent Parton Distribution Functions (TMD PDFs). In our previous review, we compared and contrasted the two main approaches used to determine the collinear PDFs: the first based on perturbative QCD factorization theorems, and the second based on lattice QCD calculations. In the present report, we provide an update of recent progress on the collinear PDFs, and also expand the scope to encompass the generalized PDFs (GPDs and TMD PDFs). We review the current state of the various calculations, and consider what new data might be available in the near future. We also examine how a shared effort can foster dialog between the PDF and Lattice QCD communities, and yield improvements for these generalized PDFs., 2020 PDFLattice Report, 64 pages, 34 figures

The strong force which binds hadrons is described by the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). Determining the character and manifestations of QCD is one of the most important and challenging outstanding issues necessary for a comprehensive understanding of the structure of hadrons. Within the context of the QCD parton picture, the Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) have been remarkably successful in describing a wide variety of processes. However, these PDFs have generally been confined to the description of collinear partons within the hadron. New experiments and facilities provide the opportunity to additionally explore the transverse structure of hadrons which is described by Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) and Transverse Momentum Dependent Parton Distribution Functions (TMD PDFs). In our previous review, we compared and contrasted the two main approaches used to determine the collinear PDFs: the first based on perturbative QCD factorization theorems, and the second based on lattice QCD calculations. In the present report, we provide an update of recent progress on the collinear PDFs, and also expand the scope to encompass the generalized PDFs (GPDs and TMD PDFs). We review the current state of the various calculations, and consider what new data might be available in the near future. We also examine how a shared effort can foster dialog between the PDF and Lattice QCD communities, and yield improvements for these generalized PDFs.

Physical review / D 102(1), 014040 (1-9) (2020). doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.102.014040, We present the first open-source analysis of parton distribution functions (PDFs) of charged pions using xFitter, an open-source QCD fit framework to facilitate PDF extraction and analyses. Our calculations are implemented at next-to-leading order (NLO) using applgrids generated by the mcfm generator. Using currently available Drell-Yan and photon production data, we find the valence distribution is well constrained; however, the considered data are not sensitive enough to unambiguously determine sea and gluon distributions. Fractions of momentum carried by the valence, sea and gluon components are discussed, and we compare with the results of the JAM collaboration and the GRV group., Published by Inst.302363, Melville, NY

We calculate the transverse momentum dependent gluon-to-gluon splitting function within $k_T$-factorization, generalizing the framework employed in the calculation of the quark splitting functions in [1-3] and demonstrate at the same time the consistency of the extended formalism with previous results. While existing versions of $k_T$ factorized evolution equations contain already a gluon-to-gluon splitting function i.e. the leading order Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov (BFKL) kernel or the Ciafaloni-Catani-Fiore-Marchesini (CCFM) kernel, the obtained splitting function has the important property that it reduces both to the leading order BFKL kernel in the high energy limit, to the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) gluon-to-gluon splitting function in the collinear limit as well as to the CCFM kernel in the soft limit. At the same time we demonstrate that this splitting kernel can be obtained from a direct calculation of the QCD Feynman diagrams, based on a combined implementation of the Curci-Furmanski-Petronzio formalism for the calculation of the collinear splitting functions and the framework of high energy factorization., Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures, published version

We provide a comprehensive comparison of $$W^\pm / Z$$ vector boson production data in pPb and PbPb collisions at the LHC with predictions obtained using the nCTEQ15 PDFs. We identify the measurements which have the largest potential impact on the PDFs, and estimate the effect of including these data using a Bayesian reweighting method. We find this data set can provide information as regards both the nuclear corrections and the heavy flavor (strange quark) PDF components. As for the proton, the parton flavor determination/separation is dependent on nuclear corrections (from heavy target DIS, for example), this information can also help improve the proton PDFs.

Extraction of the strange quark PDF is a long-standing puzzle. We use the nCTEQ nPDFs with uncertainties to study the impact of the LHC W/Z production data on both the flavor differentiation and nuclear corrections; this complements the information from neutrino-DIS data. As the proton flavor determination is dependent on nuclear corrections (from heavy target DIS, for example), LHC heavy ion measurements can also help improve proton PDFs. We introduce a new implementation of the nCTEQ code (nCTEQ++) based on C++ which has a modular strucure and enables us to easily integrate programs such as HOPPET, APPLgrid, and MCFM. Using ApplGrids generated from MCFM, we use nCTEQ++ to perform a preliminary fit including the p-Pb LHC W/Z vector boson data.

Proceedings of XXVII International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects — PoS(DIS2019) - Sissa Medialab Trieste, Italy, 2019. - ISBN - doi:10.22323/1.352.0126 27th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects, DIS2019, Torino, Italy, 8 Apr 2019 - 12 Apr 2019; Trieste, Italy : Sissa Medialab 126 pp. (2019). doi:10.22323/1.352.0126, We report on a recent calculation of inclusive Z boson production in proton-lead collisions at theLHC taking into account the transverse momenta of the initial partons [1]. In the calculation the frameworkof $k_T$-factorization has been used. The appropriate TMDs for lead nuclei have been constructed using the parton branching method. The results are comparedwith data from CMS taken at $\sqrt{s}=5.02$ TeV., Published by Sissa Medialab, Trieste, Italy

Using the LHCb and ALICE detectors in the fixed-target mode at the LHC offers unprecedented possibilities to study the quark, gluon and heavy-quark content of the proton and nuclei in the poorly known region of the high-momentum fractions. We review our projections for studies of Drell-Yan, charm, beauty and quarkonium production with both detector set-ups used with various nuclear targets and the LHC proton beams. Based on this, we show the expected improvement in the determination of the quark, charm and gluon proton and nuclear PDFs as well as discuss the implication for a better understanding of the cold-nuclear-matter effects in hard-probe production in proton-nucleus collisions., Comment: Proceedings of the Hard Probes 2018 conference

We calculate the transverse momentum dependent gluon-to-gluon splitting function within kT-factorization [EPJC 78 (2018) 174], generalizing the framework of [NPB 175 (1980) 27; NPB 427 (1994) 475] and extending our previous works [JHEP 01 (2016) 181; PRD 94 (2016) 114013] for the quark splittings. While existing versions of kT factorized evolution equations contain already a gluon-to-gluon splitting function i.e. the leading order BFKL kernel or the CCFM kernel, the obtained splitting function has the important property that it reduces to the leading order BFKL kernel in the low z limit, to the DGLAP gluon-to-gluon splitting function in the collinear limit as well as to the CCFM kernel in the angular ordered region., Comment: Contribution to the XXVI International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects - DIS 2018, 16-20 April 2018, Kobe, Japan

Recent LHC W/Z vector boson production data in proton-lead collisions are quite sensitive to the heavier flavors (especially the strange PDF), and this complements the information from neutrino-DIS data. As the proton flavor determination is dependent on nuclear corrections (from heavy target DIS, for example), LHC heavy ion measurements can also help improve proton PDFs. We introduce a new implementation of the nCTEQ code (nCTEQ++) based on C++ which has a modular strucure and enables us to easily integrate programs such as HOPPET, APPLgrid, and MCFM. Using ApplGrids generated from MCFM, we use nCTEQ++ to perform a fit including the p-Pb LHC W/Z vector boson data.

International audience; We use for the first time experimental data for the inclusive heavyquark production in proton–lead collisions at the LHC in order to improve our knowledge of the gluon distribution in nuclei. We first check that the two most recent global nuclear parton distribution analyses (nCTEQ15 and EPPS16) provide a good overall description of the data, and then use these data in a PDF reweighing analysis. We find a first clear confirmation of gluon shadowing at small x. Additionally, it demonstrates that the inclusion of such heavy-flavour data in a global fit would significantly reduce the uncertainty on the gluon density down to x ' 7 × 10−6 while keeping an agreement with the other data of the global fits. Our study accounts for the factorisation scale uncertainties which become the largest for the charm(onium) sector.

The LHC heavy ion data for W/Z production can provide new incisive information on the PDFs. This data is sensitive to the heavier quark flavors (strange and charm) in a high energy kinematic region; this can facilitate the determination of PDFs in the small x region where previous data was limited. At present, the flavor separation of the proton PDFs is dependent on DIS data from nuclear targets. Therefore, improved nuclear corrections can also yield enhanced flavor determination of both the proton and nuclear PDFs., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures. 25th International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Topics (DIS 2017). PoS(DIS2017)204

We compare predictions of nCTEQ15 nuclear parton distribution functions with proton-lead vector boson production data from the LHC. We select data sets that are most sensitive to nuclear PDFs and have potential to constrain them. We identify the kinematic regions and flavours where these data can bring new information and will have largest impact on the nuclear PDFs. Finally, we estimate the effect of including these data in a global analysis using a reweighting method., Comment: Presented at the Cracow Epiphany Conference, 9-12 January 2017, Krakow, Poland

International audience; The discovery potential of the LHC depends sensitively on the input PDFs. Despite extensive efforts, the precision of the heavy quark distributions have significant uncertainties. We illustrate some of these issues for the case of the strange quark whose extraction is intertwined with the corresponding nuclear corrections. The use of LHC W/Z production data from both proton and heavy-ion beams could substantively improve the precision of both the PDFs and the nuclear corrections.

We present the new nCTEQ15 set of nuclear parton distribution functions with uncertainties. This fit extends the CTEQ proton PDFs to include the nuclear dependence using data on nuclei all the way up to 208^Pb. The uncertainties are determined using the Hessian method with an optimal rescaling of the eigenvectors to accurately represent the uncertainties for the chosen tolerance criteria. In addition to the Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) and Drell-Yan (DY) processes, we also include inclusive pion production data from RHIC to help constrain the nuclear gluon PDF. Furthermore, we investigate the correlation of the data sets with specific nPDF flavor components, and asses the impact of individual experiments. We also provide comparisons of the nCTEQ15 set with recent fits from other groups., 35 pages

Heavy quark parton distribution functions (PDFs) play an important role in several Standard Model and New Physics processes. Most analyses rely on the assumption that the charm and bottom PDFs are generated perturbatively by gluon splitting and do not involve any non-perturbative degrees of freedom. It is clearly necessary to test this hypothesis with suitable QCD processes. Conversely, a non-perturbative, intrinsic heavy quark parton distribution has been predicted in the literature. We demonstrate that to a very good approximation the scale-evolution of the intrinsic heavy quark content of the nucleon is governed by non-singlet evolution equations. This allows us to analyze the intrinsic heavy quark distributions without having to resort to a full-fledged global analysis of parton distribution functions. We exploit this freedom to model intrinsic bottom distributions which are so far missing in the literature in order to estimate the impact of this non-perturbative contribution to the bottom-quark PDF, and on parton--parton luminosities at the LHC. This technique can be applied to the case of intrinsic charm, albeit within the limitations outlined in the following., 23 pages, 11 figures

We present the first official release of the nCTEQ nuclear parton distribution functions with errors. The main addition to the previous nCTEQ PDFs is the introduction of PDF uncertainties based on the Hessian method. Another important addition is the inclusion of pion production data from RHIC that give us a handle on constraining the gluon PDF. This contribution summarizes our results from arXiv:1509.00792 and concentrates on the comparison with other groups providing nuclear parton distributions., Presented at the XXIII International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects, April 27 - May 1, 2015, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas

International audience; We demonstrate that to a very good approximation the scale-evolution of the intrinsic heavy quark content of the nucleon is governed by non-singlet evolution equations. This allows us to analyze the intrinsic heavy quark distributions without having to resort to a full-fledged global analysis of parton distribution functions. This freedom is then exploited to model intrinsic bottom distributions which are so far missing in the literature in order to estimate the impact of this non-perturbative contribution to the bottom-quark PDF, and on parton--parton luminosities at the LHC.This technique can be applied to the case of intrinsic charm, albeit within the limitations outlined in the following.

We survey some of the recent developments in the extraction and application of heavy quark Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs). We also highlight some of the key HERA measurements which have contributed to these advances., PDFLatex, 9 pages, 15 figures

Presently available perturbative QCD calculations combining hard process matrix element with the Parton Shower Monte Carlo programs feature hard process matrix element calculated often beyond the leading order (LO), that is including complete next-to-leading-order (NLO), or even next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) corrections, while Parton Shower is only at the leading order (LO). We report here on a work in progress which demonstrate feasibility of constructing Parton Shower Monte Carlo (PSMC) featuring complete NLO corrections to QCD evolution with respect to the logarithm of the factorization scale. This effort presently covers non-singlet subset of Feynman diagrams contributing to the above QCD evolution. It should be stressed that our approach to the NLO QCD evolution is exclusive, that is giving insight into the fully unintegrated phase space. However, at the inclusive level our implementation agrees exactly with the standard inclusive picture of the NLO DGLAP evolution. Our new approach (after including NLO singlet diagrams) provides a complete method of combining the resummed and fixed order perturbative QCD calculations beyond the LO in a form suitable for the MC implementation, an alternative to the existing ones. First practical applications will include Monte Carlo generators for W/Z production processes in hadron-hadron colliders and lepton-hadron colliders., Comment: Contribution to 35th International Conference of High Energy Physics July 22-28, 2010, Paris, France

The concept of new methodology of adding QCD NLO corrections in the initial state Monte Carlo parton shower (hard process part) is tested numerically using, as an example, the process of the heavy boson production at hadron--hadron colliders such as LHC. In spite of the use of a simplified model of the process, all presented numerical results prove convincingly that the basic concept of the new methodology works correctly in practice, that is in the numerical environment of the Monte Carlo parton shower event generator. The differences with the other well established methods, like MC@NLO and POWHEG, are briefly discussed and future refinements of the implementation of the new method are also outlined.

We present updated nCTEQ nuclear parton distribution functions with errors including pion production data from RHIC. We compare them with the results of other groups and present selected LHC applications., Presented at DIS2014, 28 April - 2 May 2014, Warsaw, Poland. PoS(DIS2014)047

International audience; By extracting the beam with a bent crystal or by using an internal gas target, the multi-TeV proton and lead LHC beams allow one to perform the most energetic fixed-target experiments (AFTER@LHC) and to study $p$+$p$ and $p$+A collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=115 GeV and Pb+$p$ and Pb+A collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$=72 GeV. Such studies would address open questions in the domain of the nucleon and nucleus partonic structure at high-$x$, quark-gluon plasma and, by using longitudinally or transversally polarised targets, spin physics. In this paper, we discuss the physics opportunities of a fixed-target experiment at the LHC and we report on the possible technical implementations of a high-luminosity experiment. We finally present feasibility studies for Drell-Yan, open heavy-flavour and quarkonium production, with an emphasis on high-$x$ and spin physics.

We present the nCTEQ15 global analysis of nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs). The main addition to the previous nCTEQ PDFs is the introduction of PDF uncertainties based on the Hessian method. Another important improvement is the inclusion of pion production data from RHIC giving us a handle to constrain gluon PDF. In this presentation we briefly discuss the framework of our analysis and concentrate on the comparison of our results with those of other groups. Additionally we show a first estimate of the impact of the LHC pPb W/Z boson production data on the presented nCTEQ15 PDFs., Presented at the XXIV International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects, 11-15 April, 2016, DESY Hamburg, Germany. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1606.07624, arXiv:1509.01801

By extracting the beam with a bent crystal or by using an internal gas target, the multi-TeV proton and lead LHC beams allow one to perform the most energetic fixed-target experiments ever and to study $pp$, $p$d and $p$A collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=115$ GeV and Pb$p$ and PbA collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=72$ GeV with high precision and modern detection techniques. Such studies would address open questions in the domain of the nucleon and nucleus partonic structure at high-$x$, quark-gluon plasma and, by using longitudinally or transversally polarised targets, spin physics. In this paper, we will review the technical solutions to obtain a high-luminosity fixed-target experiment at the LHC and will discuss their possible implementations with the ALICE and LHCb detectors., 5 pages, 2 figures, 9th International Conference on Hard and Electromagnetic Probes of High-Energy Nuclear Collisions : Hard Probes 2018. (HP2018)