We perform a new Monte Carlo QCD analysis of pion parton distribution functions, including, for the first time, transverse momentum dependent pion-nucleus Drell-Yan cross sections together with $p_{\rm T}$-integrated Drell-Yan and leading neutron electroproduction data from HERA. We assess the sensitivity of the Monte Carlo fits to kinematic cuts, factorization scale, and parametrization choice, and we discuss the impact of the various datasets on the pion's quark and gluon distributions. This study provides the necessary step towards the simultaneous analysis of collinear and transverse momentum dependent pion distributions and the determination of the pion's three-dimensional structure.
We analyze the moments of parton distribution functions in the pion calculated in lattice QCD, paying particular attention to their chiral extrapolation. Using the lowest three non-trivial moments calculated on the lattice, we assess the accuracy with which the x dependence of both the valence and sea quark distributions in the pion can be extracted. The resulting valence quark distributions at the physical pion mass are in fair agreement with existing Drell-Yan data, but the statistical errors are such that one cannot yet confirm (or rule out) the large-x behavior expected from hadron helicit…
We extract pion parton distribution functions (PDFs) in a Monte Carlo global QCD analysis of experimental data together with reduced Ioffe time pseudo-distributions and matrix elements of current-current correlators generated from lattice QCD. By including both experimental and lattice QCD data, our analysis rigorously quantifies both the uncertainties of the pion PDFs and systematic effects intrinsic to the lattice QCD observables. The reduced Ioffe time pseudo-distributions significantly decrease the uncertainties on the PDFs, while the current-current correlators are limited by the systemat…
We present the first determination of the $x$-dependent pion gluon distribution from lattice QCD using the pseudo-PDF approach. We use lattice ensembles with 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ), generated by MILC Collaboration, at two lattice spacings $a\approx 0.12$ and 0.15~fm and three pion masses $M_π\approx 220$, 310 and 690 MeV. We use clover fermions for the valence action and momentum smearing to achieve pion boost momentum up to 2.29 GeV. We find that the dependence of the pion gluon parton distribution on lattice spacing and pion mass is mild. We compare our resu…
A rainbow-ladder truncation of QCD's Dyson-Schwinger equations, constrained by existing applications to hadron physics, is employed to compute the valence-quark parton distribution functions of the pion and kaon. Comparison is made to pi-N Drell-Yan data for the pion's u-quark distribution and to Drell-Yan data for the ratio u_K(x)/u_π(x): the environmental influence of this quantity is a parameter-free prediction, which agrees well with existing data. Our analysis unifies the computation of distribution functions with that of numerous other properties of pseudoscalar mesons.
We perform a lattice study of double parton distributions in the pion, using the relationship between their Mellin moments and pion matrix elements of two local currents. A good statistical signal is obtained for almost all relevant Wick contractions. We investigate correlations in the spatial distribution of two partons in the pion, as well as correlations involving the parton polarisation. The patterns we observe depend significantly on the quark mass. We investigate the assumption that double parton distributions approximately factorise into a convolution of single parton distributions.
Supposing only that there is an effective charge which defines an evolution scheme for parton distribution functions (DFs) that is all-orders exact, strict lower and upper bounds on all Mellin moments of the valence-quark DFs of pion-like systems are derived. Exploiting contemporary results from numerical simulations of lattice-regularised quantum chromodynamics (QCD) that are consistent with these bounds, parameter-free predictions for pion valence, glue, and sea DFs are obtained. The form of the valence-quark DF at large values of the light-front momentum fraction is consistent with predicti…
We perform the first global QCD analysis of pion valence, sea quark, and gluon distributions within a Bayesian Monte Carlo framework with threshold resummation on Drell-Yan cross sections at next-to-leading log accuracy. Exploring various treatments of resummation, we find that the large-$x$ asymptotics of the valence quark distribution $\sim (1-x)^{β_v}$ can differ significantly, with $β_v$ ranging from $\approx 1$ to $> 2.5$ at the input scale. Regardless of the specific implementation, however, the resummation induced redistribution of the momentum between valence quarks and gluons boosts t…
A Continuum Schwinger Method to Study the Pion's Generalized Parton Distribution
Universidad de Valencia(瓦伦西亚大学);IFIC-CSIC(伊菲克-西班牙高等科学研究委员会);Universidad Pablo de Olavide(巴勃罗·德·奥拉维德大学);Universidad de Huelva(韦尔瓦大学);Irfu, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay(IRFU,法国原子能和替代能源委员会,巴黎萨克雷大学)
We compute the pion quark Generalized Parton Distribution H and quark Double Distributions F and G in a coupled Bethe-Salpeter and Dyson-Schwinger approach in terms of quark flavors or isospin states. We use simple analytic expressions inspired by the numerical resolution of Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations. We explicitly check the support and polynomiality properties, and the behavior under charge conjugation or time invariance of our model. We obtain analytic expressions for the pion Double Distributions and Generalized Parton Distribution at vanishing pion momentum transfer at a…
We present the $x$-dependent nucleon and pion gluon distribution from lattice QCD using the pseudo-PDF approach, on lattice ensembles with $2+1+1$ flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ), generated by MILC Collaboration. We use clover fermions for the valence action and momentum smearing to achieve pion boost momentum up to 2.56~GeV on three lattice spacings $a\approx 0.9, 0.12$ and 0.15~fm and three pion masses $M_π\approx 220$, 310 and 690~MeV. We compare our pion and preliminary nucleon gluon results with the determination by global fits.
We perform the first global QCD analysis of parton distribution functions (PDFs) in the pion, combining $πA$ Drell-Yan data with leading neutron electroproduction from HERA within a Monte Carlo approach based on nested sampling. Inclusion of the HERA data allows the pion PDFs to be determined down to much lower values of $x$, with relatively weak model dependence from uncertainties in the chiral splitting function. The combined analysis reveals that gluons carry a significantly higher pion momentum fraction, $\sim 30\%$, than that inferred from Drell-Yan data alone, with sea quarks carrying a …
We compute the pion quark Generalised Parton Distribution H and quark Double Distributions in a coupled Bethe-Salpeter and Dyson-Schwinger approach in terms of quark flavors or isospin states. We use analytic expressions inspired by the numerical resolution of Dyson-Schwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations. We obtain an analytic expression for the pion Generalised Parton Distribution at a low scale. Our model fulfils most of the required symmetry properties and compares very well to experimental pion form factor or valence parton distribution function experimental data. In addition, we have high…
Pion and kaon structural properties provide insights into the emergence of mass within the Standard Model and attendant modulations by the Higgs boson. Novel expressions of these effects, in impact parameter space and in mass and pressure profiles, are exposed via $π$ and $K$ generalised parton distributions, built using the overlap representation from light-front wave functions constrained by one-dimensional valence distribution functions that describe available data. Notably, e.g. $K$ pressure profiles are spatially more compact than $π$ profiles and both achieve near-core pressures of simil…
Generalized parton distributions provide a unified parameterization of hadron structure and allow one to combine information from many different observables. Lattice QCD calculations already provide important input to determine these distributions and hold the promise to become even more important in the future. To this end, a reliable extrapolation of lattice calculations to the physical quark and pion masses is needed. We present an analysis for the moments of generalized parton distributions of the pion in one-loop order of chiral perturbation theory.
We present a high-statistics lattice QCD determination of the valence parton distribution function (PDF) of the pion, with a mass of 300 MeV, using two very fine lattice spacings of $a=0.06$ fm and 0.04 fm. We reconstruct the $x$-dependent PDF, as well as infer the first few even moments of the PDF using leading-twist 1-loop perturbative matching framework. Our analyses use both RI-MOM and ratio-based schemes to renormalize the equal-time bi-local quark-bilinear matrix elements of pions boosted up to 2.4 GeV momenta. We use various model-independent and model-dependent analyses to infer the la…
We compare the jet-path length and beam-energy dependence of the pion nuclear modification factor and a parton-jet nuclear modification factor at RHIC and LHC. We contrast predictions based on a linear pQCD and a highly non-linear hybrid-AdS holographic model of jet-energy loss. We find that both models require a reduction of the jet-medium coupling from RHIC to LHC to account for the measured pion nuclear modification factor. In case of the parton-jet nuclear modification factor, however, which serves as a lower bound for the LO jet nuclear modification factor of reconstructed jets, the extra…
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.
Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) encoding multidimensional information of hadron partonic structure appear as the building blocks in a factorized description of hard exclusive reactions. The nucleon GPDs have been accessed by deeply virtual Compton scattering and deeply virtual meson production with lepton beam. A complementary probe with hadron beam is the exclusive pion-induced Drell-Yan process. In this paper, we discuss recent theoretical advances on describing this process in terms of nucleon GPDs and pion distribution amplitudes. Furthermore, we address the feasibility of measurin…
Within the Dyson-Schwinger equation formulation of QCD, a rainbow ladder truncation is used to calculate the pion valence-quark distribution function(PDF). The gap equation is renormalized at a typical hadronic scale, of order 0.5GeV, which is also set as the default initial scale for the pion PDF. We implement a corrected leading-order expression for the PDF which ensures that the valence-quarks carry all of the pion's light-front momentum at the initial scale. The scaling behavior of the pion PDF at a typical partonic scale of order 5.2GeV is found to be $(1-x)^ν$, with $ν\simeq 1.6$, as $x$…
We present a brief review of results of chiral quark models for soft matrix elements in the pion state, appearing in high-energy processes as well as accessible in present and future lattice studies. A particular attention is paid to the recently explored double parton distribution functions of the pion.
We present a lattice-QCD calculation of the unpolarized isovector parton distribution function (PDF) using ensembles at the physical pion mass with large proton boost momenta $P_z \in \{2.2,2.6,3.0\}$~GeV within the framework of large-momentum effective theory (LaMET). In contrast to our previous physical-pion PDF result, we increase the statistics significantly, double the boost momentum, increase the investment in excited-state contamination systematics, and switch to $γ_t$ operator to avoid mixing with scalar matrix elements. We use four source-sink separations in our analysis to control th…
Inclusive cross sections for pion production in $pp$ collisions are calculated for the first time fully based on unintegrated gluon, quark and antiquark distributions (uPDF). We use recently developed Kwieciński uPDF's and different phenomenological fragmentation functions (FF) from the literature. In addition to the $gg \to g$ diagram we include also $g q \to q$ and $q g \to q$ diagrams for inclusive parton production. The cross section for pions is obtained then by convoluting the inclusive parton distributions and FFs. Applications for SPS and RHIC are shown.
We compute the pion Generalized Parton Distribution (GPD) in a valence dressed quarks approach. We model the Mellin moments of the GPD using Ansätze for Green functions inspired by the numerical solutions of the Dyson-Schwinger Equations (DSE) and the Bethe-Salpeter Equation (BSE). Then, the GPD is reconstructed from its Mellin moment using the Double Distribution (DD) formalism. The agreement with available experimental data is very good.
We present the first lattice calculation of the valence-quark generalized parton distribution (GPD) of the pion using the large-momentum effective theory (LaMET) approach. We focus on the zero-skewness limit, where the GPD has a probability-density interpretation in the longitudinal Bjorken $x$ and the transverse impact-parameter distributions. Our calculation is done using clover valence fermions on an ensemble of gauge configurations with $2+1+1$ flavors (degenerate up/down, strange and charm) of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ) with lattice spacing $a \approx 0.12$ fm, box size $L \a…
We discuss a general diagrammatic description of n-point functions in the QCD instanton vacuum that resums planar diagrams, enforces gauge invariance and spontaneously broken chiral symmetry. We use these diagrammatic rules to derive the pion and kaon quasi-parton amplitude and distribution functions at leading order in the instanton packing fraction for large but finite momentum. The instanton and anti-instanton zero modes and non-zero modes are found to contribute to the quasi-distributions, but the latter are shown to drop out in the large momentum limit. The pertinent pion and kaon parton …
We use detailed balance for a hadron composed of quark and gluon Fock states to obtain parton distributions in the proton and pion on the basis of a simple statistical model.
We study pion production in proton-proton collisions within a pQCD-improved parton model in next-to-leading order augmented by intrinsic transverse momentum ($k_\perp$) of the partons. We find the introduction of $k_\perp$ necessary to reproduce the experimental data in the CERN SPS to RHIC energy range. We study the influence of intrinsic $k_\perp$ on the so-called $K$ factor, the ratio of the NLO cross section to the Born term. A strong $p_T$ dependence is seen, especially in the 3-6 GeV transverse momentum region of the outgoing pion, where nuclear effects (e.g. the Cronin effect) play an i…
First simultaneous global QCD analysis of kaon and pion parton distributions with lattice QCD constraints
Argonne National Laboratory(阿贡国家实验室);North Carolina State University(北卡罗来纳州立大学);Jefferson Lab(杰弗逊实验室);Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik, University of Bonn(波恩大学亥姆霍兹辐射与核物理研究所);Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Bonn(波恩大学贝特理论物理中心)
We present a lattice QCD study of valence parton distribution inside the pion within the framework of Large Momentum Effective Theory. We use a mixed action approach with 1-HYP smeared valence Wilson clover quarks on 2+1 flavor HISQ sea with the valence quark mass tuned to 300 MeV pion mass. We use $48^3 \times 64$ lattice at a fine lattice spacing $a=0.06$ fm for this computation. We renormalize the quasi-PDF matrix element in the non-perturbative RI-MOM scheme. As a byproduct, we test the validity of 1-loop matching procedure by comparing the RI-MOM renormalized quasi-PDF matrix element with…
We consider two simple covariant models for pions (one with scalar and the other with spin-1/2 constituents). Pion generalized parton distributions are derived by integration over the light-cone energy. The model distributions are consistent with all known properties of generalized parton distributions, including positivity. We also construct the corresponding double distributions by appealing to Lorentz invariance. These ostensibly constructed double distributions lead to different generalized parton distributions that need not respect the positivity constraints. This inconsistency arises fro…
We present results for the moments of nucleon isovector vector and axial generalised parton distribution functions computed within lattice QCD. Three ensembles of maximally twisted mass clover-improved fermions simulated with a physical value of the pion mass are analyzed. Two of these ensembles are generated using two degenerate light quarks. A third ensemble is used having, in addition to the light quarks, strange and charm quarks in the sea. A careful analysis of the convergence to the ground state is carried out that is shown to be essential for extracting the correct nucleon matrix elemen…
We show that exclusive production of a pair of high transverse momentum photons in pion-nucleon collisions can be systematically studied in QCD factorization approach if the photon's transverse momentum $q_T$ with respect to the colliding pion is much greater than $Λ_{\rm QCD}$. We demonstrate that the leading power non-perturbative contributions to the scattering amplitudes of this exclusive process are process-independent and can be systematically factorized into universal pion's distribution amplitudes (DAs) and nucleon's generalized parton distributions (GPDs), which are convoluted with co…
We investigate how charmonium hadroproduction at fixed-target energies can be used to constrain the gluon distribution in pions. Using nonrelativistic QCD (NRQCD) formulation, the $J/ψ$ and $ψ(2S)$ cross sections as a function of longitudinal momentum fraction $x_F$ from pions and protons colliding with light targets, as well as the $ψ(2S)$ to $J/ψ$ cross section ratios, are included in the analysis. The color-octet long-distance matrix elements are found to have a pronounced dependence on the pion parton distribution functions (PDFs). This study shows that the $x_F$ differential cross section…
The pion light-cone distribution amplitude (LCDA) is a central non-perturbative object of interest for high-energy exclusive processes in quantum chromodynamics. In this article, the second Mellin moment of the pion LCDA is determined as a proof-of-concept calculation for the first numerical implementation of the heavy-quark operator product expansion (HOPE) method. The resulting value for the second Mellin moment, determined in quenched QCD at a pion mass of $m_π=550$ MeV at a factorization scale of 2 GeV is $ \langle ξ^2 \rangle = 0.210 \pm 0.013\text{ (stat.)} \pm 0.034\text{ (sys.)}$. This…
We present the first direct lattice-QCD calculation of the Bjorken-$x$ dependence of the valence quark distribution of the pion. Using large-momentum effective theory (LaMET), we calculate the boosted pion state with long Wilson link operators. After implementing the one-loop matching and meson mass corrections, our result at $m_π\approx 310$ MeV is in agreement with those extracted from experimental data as well as from Dyson-Schwinger equation in small $x$ region, but a sizeable discrepancy in the large $x$ region. This discrepancy provides a nice opportunity to systematically study and dise…
Two-parton correlations in the pion, a non perturbative information encoded in double parton distribution functions, are investigated in the Nambu and Jona-Lasinio model. It is found that double parton distribution functions expose novel dynamical information on the structure of the pion, not accessible through one-body parton distributions, as it happens in several estimates for the proton target and in a previous evaluation for the pion, in a light-cone framework. Expressions and predictions are given for double parton distributions corresponding to leading-twist Dirac operators in the quark…
Despite the success of modern nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs) in describing nuclear hard-process data, they still suffer from large uncertainties. One of the poorly constrained features is the possible asymmetry in nuclear modifications of valence $u$ and $d$ quarks. We study the possibility of using pion-nucleus Drell-Yan dilepton data as a new constraint in the global analysis of nPDFs. We find that the nuclear cross-section ratios from the NA3, NA10 and E615 experiments can be used without imposing significant new theoretical uncertainties and, in particular, that these datase…
We calculate skewed parton distributions $H^I$ of a pion within a non-local NJL model with momentum dependent constituent quark mass $M(k)$. In the forward limit $H^I$ correspond to parton distributions, whereas for $t<0$, $H^I$ is related to the pion electromagnetic form-factor
We present a thorough analysis of unpolarized Drell-Yan (DY) pair production in pion-nucleus scattering. On the nucleus side, we use nuclear parton distributions along with parametrisations of the nucleon partonic transverse distribution available in the literature. Partonic longitudinal and transverse distributions of the pion are those obtained in a recent calculation in a Nambu-Jona Lasinio (NJL) framework, with Pauli-Villars regularization. The scale of the NJL model is fixed by a comparison between NLO predictions based on NJL evolved pion distributions and rapidity differential DY cross …
We derive the lowest-order $q\bar q$ valence light-front wave function for the pion with Lz=0 and |Lz|=1, which reproduces its valence parton distribution and the electromagnetic form factor consistent with data.
We present a new, comprehensive global analysis of parton-to-pion fragmentation functions at next-to-leading order accuracy in QCD. The obtained results are based on the latest experimental information on single-inclusive pion production in electron-positron annihilation, lepton-nucleon deep-inelastic scattering, and proton-proton collisions. An excellent description of all data sets is achieved, and the remaining uncertainties in parton-to-pion fragmentation functions are estimated based on the Hessian method. Extensive comparisons to the results from our previous global analysis are performe…
We use phenomenological nonlocal Lagrangians, which lead to non trivial forms for the quark propagator, to describe the pion. We define a procedure, based on the Dyson-Schwinger equations, for the calculation of the pion parton distributions at low Q^2. The obtained parton distributions fulfill all the wishful properties. Using a convolution approach we incorporate the composite character of the constituent quarks in the formalism. We evolve, using the Renormalization Group, the calculated parton distributions to the experimental scale and compare favorably with the data and draw conclusions.
We present the first lattice calculation of the nucleon isovector unpolarized generalized parton distribution (GPD) at the physical pion mass using a lattice ensemble with 2+1+1 flavors of highly improved staggered quarks (HISQ) generated by MILC Collaboration, with lattice spacing $a\approx 0.09$~fm and volume $64^3\times 96$. We use momentum-smeared sources to improve the signal at nucleon boost momentum $P_z \approx 2.2$ GeV, and report results at nonzero momentum transfers in $[0.2,1.0]\text{ GeV}^2$. Nonperturbative renormalization in RI/MOM scheme is used to obtain the quasi-distribution…
We use a two-body, light-cone pion wave function (which vanishes when one of the constituents carries all of the plus-momentum) to construct a double distribution. We show that the resulting generalized parton distribution has incorrect behavior at the crossover between kinematic regions. Furthermore the positivity constraints are not respected. On the other hand, the field-theoretic, two-body double distribution gives generalized parton distributions that have physically correct crossover behavior and respect the positivity constraints independent of the model wave function used. However, the…
We present a new analysis to extract pion's parton distribution functions (PDFs) in the framework of the statistical model. Starting from the statistical model framework first developed for the spin-1/2 nucleon, we apply appropriate modifications taking into account the spin-0 nature of pion and the isospin and charge-conjugation symmetry properties. This results in a significant reduction of the number of parameters compared to a recent work to extract pion's PDFs. Using $π^-$-induced Drell-Yan data to determine the parameters of this statistical model approach, we show that a good descriptio…
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…
We study the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of pion for non-zero skewness by considering the leading $| q \bar{q} \rangle$ Fock state component. Inspired from AdS/QCD light-front wave functions, we calculate the pion GPDs. By taking the Fourier transforms we obtain the results for impact-parameter dependent parton distribution functions (ipdpdf) and for GPDs in longitudinal boost-invariant space. We also calculate the charge density and gravitational form factor of the pion. The pion unpolarized transverse momentum distribution (TMD) have also been calculated. The results provide rich…
The transversity Generalized Parton Distributions (tGPDs) and related transversity form factors of the pion are evaluated in chiral quark models, both local (Nambu--Jona-Lasinio) and nonlocal, involving a momentum-dependent quark mass. The obtained tGPDs satisfy all a priori formal requirements, such as the proper support, normalization, and polynomiality. We evaluate generalized transversity form factors accessible from the recent lattice QCD calculations. These form factors, after the necessary QCD evolution, agree very well with the lattice data, confirming the fact that the spontaneously b…
We present a model for the structure of the pion. Based on ideas of a recently developed statistical model of the nucleon, we assume the pion to be a gas of partons. The finite-size corrections (FSC) are incorporated through two parameters. Using the same two FSC parameters for the proton and pion we reproduce quantitatively the data on $π^- N \to μ^+ μ^- X$ Drell-Yan production and valence quark distribution of the pion.
We evaluate nonperturbatively the quark quasidistribution amplitude and the valence quark quasidistribution function of the pion in the framework of chiral quark models, namely the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model and the Spectral Quark Model. We arrive at simple analytic expressions, where the nonperturbative dependence on the longitudinal momentum of the pion can be explicitly assessed. The model results for the quark quasidistribution amplitude of the pion compare favorably to the data obtained from the Euclidean lattice simulations. The quark distribution amplitude, arising in the limit of infini…