A selection of the latest and most frequently used PDFs is incorporated in PYTHIA8, including the MC-adapted PDFs from the MSTW and CTEQ collaborations. This thesis examines the differences in PDFs as well as the effect they have on results of simulations. The results are also compared to data collected by the CDF experiment.
Substantial progress has been made recently in the formalisms which form the basis of event generators. I discuss some of the ideas involved, emphasizing the role of higher-order QCD corrections and their interplay with parton showers
The project of constructing a complete NLO-level Parton Shower Monte Carlo for the QCD processes developed in IFJ PAN in Krakow is reviewed. Four issues are discussed: (1) the extension of the standard inclusive collinear factorization into a new, fully exclusive scheme; (2) reconstruction of the LO Parton Shower in the new scheme; (3) inclusion of the exclusive NLO corrections into the hard process and (4) inclusion of the exclusive NLO corrections into the evolution (ladder) part.
A method to facilitate the consistent inclusion of cross-section measurements based on complex final-states from HERA, TEVATRON and the LHC in proton parton density function (PDF) fits has been developed. This can be used to increase the sensitivity of LHC data to deviations from Standard Model predictions. The method stores perturbative coefficients of NLO QCD calculations of final-state observables measured in hadron colliders in look-up tables. This allows the posteriori inclusion of parton density functions (PDFs), and of the strong coupling, as well as the a posteriori variation of the re…
We present a method developed by the NNPDF Collaboration that allows the inclusion of new experimental data into an existing set of parton distribution functions without the need for a complete refit. A Monte Carlo ensemble of PDFs may be updated by assigning each member of the ensemble a unique weight determined by Bayesian inference. The reweighted ensemble therefore represents the probability density of PDFs conditional on both the old and new data. This method is applied to the inclusion of W-lepton asymmetry data into the NNPDF2.1 fit producing a new PDF set, NNPDF2.2.
We discuss how the experimental information from longitudinal single-spin asymmetries for $W^{\pm}$ boson production in polarised proton-proton collisions can be included in a polarised parton determination by Bayesian reweighting of a Monte Carlo set of polarised PDF replicas. We explicitly construct a prior ensemble of polarised parton distributions using available fits to inclusive and semi-inclusive DIS data and we discuss the potential impact of existing and future RHIC measurements on it.
Deep virtual vector meson leptoproduction at small $\xbj$ is analyzed in the framework of generalized parton distributions. It is shown that the inclusion of transverse degrees of freedom leads to reasonable agreement with the cross section data for light mesons.
The present status of the (JR) dynamical parton distribution functions is reported. Different theoretical improvements, including the determination of the strange sea input distribution, the treatment of correlated errors and the inclusion of alternative data sets, are discussed. Highlights in the ongoing developments as well as (very) preliminary results in the determination of the strong coupling constant are presented.
We study the systematic inclusion of QED corrections in the evolution of parton distributions. O(alpha) corrections modify the evolution equation for parton distributions. They introduce additional parton distributions, like the photon distribution in the nucleon, and lead to additional mixing effects. We discuss the modifications for a realistic model of N_f,up up-type flavours and N_f,down down-type flavours. We have implemented these corrections into a numerical program and we quantify the size of these effects in a toy model. The corrections reach the order of 1%.
We briefly discuss recent research on the spin-averaged parton densities of the proton, focusing on some aspects relevant to hard processes at the LHC. Specifically, after recalling the basic framework and the need for higher-order calculations, we address the evolution equations governing the scale dependence of the parton distributions and their solution, schemes for initial conditions and the inclusion of heavy quarks, recent progress on fits to data, and future high-precision constraints from LHC measurements.
We present the first official release of the nCTEQ nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs) with errors. 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.
We present the extraction of unpolarized quark transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) and the non-perturbative part of TMD evolution kernel from the global analysis of Drell-Yan and $Z$-boson production data. The analysis is performed at the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in perturbative QCD, using the $ζ$-prescription. The estimation of the error-propagation from the experimental uncertainties to non-perturbative function is made by the replica method. The importance of the inclusion of the precise LHC data and its influence on the determination of non-per…
We present a numerical analysis of helicity independent nucleon generalized parton distributions (GPDs) using the known formalism based on inclusion of higher Fock states in the soft-wall approach of the anti-de Sitter/QCD model. We calculate the momentum space GPDs by matching the electromagnetic form factors in the AdS model to the sum rules in QCD. We investigate their Mellin moments, transverse impact parameter GPDs, transverse mean square radius, and transverse width. We further extend this work to investigate the charge and anomalous magnetization densities for both unpolarized and trans…
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.
We briefly discuss recent results on the evolution of unpolarized parton densities and structure functions in massless perturbative QCD. Present partial results on the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) evolution kernels prove sufficient for reliable calculations at not too small values of the Bjorken variable, x > 10^-3. One order more can be taken into account at x >= 0.2. Inclusion of these terms considerably reduces the main theoretical uncertainties of determinations of alpha_s (to about 1% at the Z-mass) and the parton densities from structure functions.
We gauge the impact of soft-gluon resummation on quark distributions by performing a simple fit of Deep Inelastic Scattering structure function data using next-to-leading order (NLO) and next-to-leading-logarithmic (NLL)-resummed coefficient functions. We make use of NuTeV charged-current data, as well as New Muon Collaboration (NMC) and Bologna-CERN-Dubna-Munich-Saclay (BCDMS) neutral-current results, which probe large values of x. Our results suggest that the inclusion of resummation effects in global fits of parton distributions is both feasible and desirable, in order to achieve at large x…
We present the determination of Transverse Momentum Dependent (TMD) parton distributions from Monte Carlo parton showers. We investigate the effective TMD distributions obtained from the PYTHIA8 and HERWIG6 parton showers and compare them to the TMD distributions determined within the Parton Branching method.
We present two equivalent consistency checks of the momentum sum rule for double parton distributions and show the importance of the inclusion of the so-called inhomogeneous term in order to preserve correct longitudinal momentum correlations. We further discuss in some detail the kinematics of the splitting at the basis of the inhomogeneous term and update the double parton distributions evolution equations at different virtualities.
Through explicit examples we show that twist-4 parton distributions have no parton interpretation in the sense that parton or partons inside a hadron can carry the momentum fraction $x$ of the hadron with $x >1$ or $x<-1$. The studied twist-4 parton distributions of collinear factoization are power-divergent for $\vert x\vert >1$. The corresponding transverse momentum dependent parton distributions have also no parton interpretation. They are finite. The implications of our results are discussed.
It is shown that off-forward parton distributions for $ζ=0$, i.e. where the initial and final state differ only in their transverse momenta, can be interpreted as a simultaneous measurement of the longitudinal momentum and transverse position (impact parameter) of partons in the infinite momentum frame.
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.
Inclusion of the QED higher order radiative corrections in the two-photon process, e+e- -> e+e- mu+mu-, is examined by means of the structure function and the parton shower. Results are compared with the exact $O(α)$ calculations and give a good agreement. These two methods should be universally applicable to any other non-annihilation processes like the single-W productions in the e+e- collisions. In this case, however, the energy scale for the evolution by the renormalization-group equation should be chosen properly depending on the dominant diagrams for the given process. A method to find t…
We show that Mellin moments of generalized parton distributions, given as even polynomials in the skewness parameter, are obtained from the Taylor expansion of light front wave functions. Furthermore, we derive non-standard versions of the inverse Radon transform to obtain the double distribution from the parton number conserved light front wave function overlap. These transformations are utilized to extend a generalized parton distribution from the outer region to the central one. We exemplify the formalism for a light front wave function that arises from an AdS/QCD duality conjecture.
We present a new analysis to extract pion parton distribution functions (PDFs) within the framework of the statistical model. Starting from the statistical model first developed for the spin-1/2 nucleon, we extend this model to describe the spin-0 pion. Based on a combined fit to both the pion-induced Drell-Yan data and the pion-induced $J/Ψ$ production data, a new set of pion PDFs has been obtained. The inclusion of the $J/Ψ$ production data in the combined fit has provided additional constraints for better determining the gluon distribution in the pion. We also compare the pion PDFs obtained…
A short review of form factors, parton distribution functions and generalized parton distributions is given. A possible application of generalized parton distributions in the weak sector is discussed.
I discuss the physical interpretation of GPDs in the limit $ξ=0$, where the $t$ dependence contains information about the distribution of partons in the transverse plane. GPDs thus allow a simultaneous determination of the longitudinal momentum and transverse position of partons in the infinite momentum frame, which also provides a physical interpretation for Ji's angular momentum sum rule.
Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) provide a link between form factors, parton distributions and other observables. I discuss the connection between GPDs and parton distributions as a function of the impact parameter. Since this connection involves GPDs in the limit of vanishing skewedness parameter $ξ$, i.e. when the off-forwardness is purely transverse, I also illustrate how to relate $ξ\neq 0$ data to $ξ=0$ data, which is important for experimental measurements of these observables.
Multi-parton distributions in a proton, the nonperturbative quantities needed to make predictions for multiple scattering rates, are poorly constrained from theory and data and must be modelled. All Monte Carlo event generators that simulate multiple parton interactions (e.g. Pythia) contain such a model of multi-parton PDFs. One important theoretical constraint for the case of double parton distributions is provided by the so-called number and momentum sum rules. In this paper we investigate to what extent the double parton distribution functions used in the Pythia event generator obey these …
The connection between parton distributions as a function of the impact parameter and off-forward parton distributions is discussed in the limit of vanishing skewedness parameter $ξ$, i.e. when the off-forwardness is purely transverse. It is also illustrated how to relate $ξ\neq 0$ data to $ξ=0$ data, which is important for experimental measurements of these observables.
We present the construction of unintegrated double parton distribution functions which include dependence on transverse momenta of partons. We extend the formulation which was used to obtain the single unintegrated parton distributions from the standard, integrated parton distribution functions. Starting from the homogeneous part of the evolution equations for the integrated double parton distributions, we construct the unintegrated double parton distributions as the convolutions of the integrated double distributions and the splitting functions, multiplied by the Sudakov form factors. We show…
Generalized Parton Distributions describe, within QCD factorization, the non perturbative component in the amplitudes for deeply virtual exclusive processes. However, in order for a partonic interpretation to hold, semi-disconnected diagrams should not contribute. We show that this condition is not satisfied for non-forward kinematics at leading order, and that gluon mediated re-interactions are essential for a consistent description in terms of parton degrees of freedom.
Initial state evolution in parton shower event generators involves parton distribution functions. We examine the probability for the system to evolve from a higher scale to a lower scale without an initial state splitting. A simple argument suggests that this probability, when multiplied by the ratio of the parton distributions at the two scales, should be independent of the parton distribution functions. We call this the PDF property. We examine whether the PDF property actually holds using Pythia and Deductor. We also test a related property for the Deductor shower and discuss the physics be…
When the initial state evolution of a parton shower is organized according to the standard "backward evolution'' prescription, ratios of parton distribution functions appear in the splitting probabilities. The shower thus organized evolves from a hard scale to a soft cutoff scale. At the end of the shower, one expects that only the parton distributions at the soft scale should affect the results. The other effects of the parton distributions should have cancelled. This means that the kernels for parton evolution should be related to the shower splitting functions. If the initial state partons …
We present main elements of the construction of unintegrated double parton distribution functions which depend on transverse momenta of partons. We follow the method proposed by Kimber, Martin and Ryskin for a construction of unintegrated single parton distributions from the standard parton distribution functions.
We investigate the relations between transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (TMDs) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs) in a light-front quark-diquark model motivated by soft wall AdS/QCD. Many relations are found to have similar structure in different models. It is found that a relation between the Sivers function and the GPD $E_q$ can be obtained in this model in terms of a lensing function. The quark orbital angular momentum is calculated and the results are compared with the results in other similar models. Implications of the results are discussed. Relations among diffe…
Parton recombination corrections to the standard spin-dependent Altarelli-Parisi evolution equation are considered in a nonlinear evolution equation. The properties of this recombination equation and its relation with the spin-averaged form are discussed.
I discuss the current status of parton distributions. I outline the wide variety of different parton distributions available, and highlight which are either necessary or suitable for use at present.
The connection between parton distributions as a function of the impact parameter and off-forward parton distributions is discussed in the limit of vanishing skewedness parameter $ζ$, i.e. when the off-forwardness is purely transverse. For the $2^{nd}$ moment it is also illustrated how to relate $ζ\neq 0$ data to $ζ=0$ data, which is important for experimental measurements of these observables.
We consider double parton distributions in the general case in which the virtualities of the interacting partons are different. We elaborate the corresponding evolution equations and their extension to next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy.
Applications of perturbative QCD to hard exclusive electroproduction processes in the Bjorken limit at small invariant momentum transfer t bring in a new type of parton distributions which have hybrid properties, resembling both the parton distribution functions and the distribution amplitudes. Their t-dependence is analogous to that of hadronic form factors. We discuss general properties of these new parton distributions, their relation to usual parton densities and the evolution equations which they satisfy.
Two-parton correlations in the pion are investigated in terms of double parton distribution functions. A Poincaré covariant Light-Front framework has been adopted. As non perturbative input, the pion wave function obtained within the so-called soft-wall AdS/QCD model has been used. Results show how novel dynamical information on the structure of the pion, not accessible through one-body parton distribution, are encoded in double parton distribution functions.
The non-perturbative parton distributions in hadrons are derived from simple physical arguments resulting in an analytical expression for the valence parton distributions. The sea partons arise mainly from pions in hadronic fluctuations. The model gives new insights and a good description of structure function data.
We present a study of the results obtained combining LO partonic matrix elements with different orders of partons distributions. These are compared to the best prediction using NLO for both matrix elements and parton distributions. The aim is to determine which parton distributions are most appropriate to use in those cases where only LO matrix elements are available, e.g. as in many Monte Carlo generators. Both LO and NLO parton distributions have faults so a modified optimal LO set is suggested.
We propose a parametrization for the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) which is based on representation of parton distributions as an infinite series of t-channel exchanges. The entire generalized parton distribution is given as an infinite sum over contributions of generalized light-cone distribution amplitudes in the t-channel. We also discuss the relations of the lowest Mellin moments of GPDs to basic mechanical characteristics of the nucleon as a compound system.
The overlap representation of skewed parton distributions is discussed and applications to wide-angle Compton scattering and electroproduction of mesons are presented. The amplitudes for these processes factorise into parton-level subprocess amplitudes and form factors representing 1/x-moments of skewed parton distributions.
An integral representation for generalized parton distributions of spin-0 hadrons is suggested, which satisfies both polynomiality and positivity constraints.
Models for double parton distributions that are realistic and consistent with theoretical constraints are crucial for a reliable description of double parton scattering. We show how an ansatz that has the correct behaviour in the limit of small transverse distance between the partons can be improved step by step, such as to fulfil the sum rules for double parton distributions with an accuracy around 10%.
For an unpolarized target, the generalized parton distribution $H_q(x,0,t)$ is related to the distribution of partons in impact parameter space. The transverse distortion of this distribution for a transversely polarized target is described by $E_q(x,0,t)$.
Positivity constraints are derived for the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of spin-1/2 hadrons. The analysis covers the full set of eight twist-2 GPDs. Several new inequalities are obtained which constrain GPDs by various combinations of usual (forward) unpolarized and polarized parton distributions including the transversity distribution.
We present a systematic study of the proton spin structure in terms of measurable parton distributions. For a transversely-polarizedproton, we derive a polarization sum rule from the leading generalized parton distributions appearing in hard exclusive processes. For a longitudinally-polarized proton, we obtain a helicity decomposition from well-known quark and gluon helicity distributions and orbital angular-momentum contributions. The latter is shown to be related to measurable subleading generalized parton distributions and quantum-phase space Wigner distributions.
Recent CDF measurements of the inclusive cross section for a double parton scattering attach a great importance to any theoretical calculations of two-particle distribution functions. Using a parton interpretation of the leading logarithm diagrams of perturbative QCD theory, generalized Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi-Dokshitzer equations for the two-parton distributions are re-obtained. The solutions of these equations are not at all the product of two single-parton distributions what is usually applied to the current analysis as ansatz.
Fourier transform of the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) at zero skewness with respect to the transverse momentum transfer gives the distribution of partons in the impact parameter space. We investigate the GPDs as well as the impact parameter dependent parton distributions (ipdpdfs) by expressing them in terms of overlaps of light front wave functions (LFWFs) and present a comparative study using three different model LFWFs.