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nCTEQ global analysis of nuclear PDFs

M. Klasen

TL;DR

This paper reviews the progression of nCTEQ analyses since 2020 and presents preliminary results for the upcoming nCTEQ25 global analysis. It shows how integrating diverse data—fixed-target DIS, neutrino DIS, dimuon production, and LHC W/Z, hadron, and heavy-quark measurements—extends kinematic reach and strengthens constraints on nuclear PDFs. Methodologically, it introduces CJ15 as the proton baseline, expands the $x$- and $A$-dependence of the PDFs, and increases the number of free parameters with a larger tolerance, while preparing a fully perturbative NLO fit for open heavy-quark production. The results suggest improved gluon and strange-quark distributions and demonstrate consistency with prior data-driven approaches, signaling more precise predictions for pA and heavy-ion phenomenology in current and future collider experiments.

Abstract

We review the series of specific nCTEQ analyses of nuclear parton distribution functions (PDFs) published since 2020 and present preliminary results of a new global analysis. Building on a modern proton baseline without nuclear data and extending the kinematic range, it combines and updates the previous separate analyses that focused on Jefferson Lab neutral-current deep-inelastic scattering (DIS), neutrino DIS and dimuon production, and the currently available CERN LHC data, in particular on W/Z-boson, single inclusive hadron, and heavy-quark production.

nCTEQ global analysis of nuclear PDFs

TL;DR

This paper reviews the progression of nCTEQ analyses since 2020 and presents preliminary results for the upcoming nCTEQ25 global analysis. It shows how integrating diverse data—fixed-target DIS, neutrino DIS, dimuon production, and LHC W/Z, hadron, and heavy-quark measurements—extends kinematic reach and strengthens constraints on nuclear PDFs. Methodologically, it introduces CJ15 as the proton baseline, expands the - and -dependence of the PDFs, and increases the number of free parameters with a larger tolerance, while preparing a fully perturbative NLO fit for open heavy-quark production. The results suggest improved gluon and strange-quark distributions and demonstrate consistency with prior data-driven approaches, signaling more precise predictions for pA and heavy-ion phenomenology in current and future collider experiments.

Abstract

We review the series of specific nCTEQ analyses of nuclear parton distribution functions (PDFs) published since 2020 and present preliminary results of a new global analysis. Building on a modern proton baseline without nuclear data and extending the kinematic range, it combines and updates the previous separate analyses that focused on Jefferson Lab neutral-current deep-inelastic scattering (DIS), neutrino DIS and dimuon production, and the currently available CERN LHC data, in particular on W/Z-boson, single inclusive hadron, and heavy-quark production.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 5 sections, 3 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Previous nCTEQ analyses
  3. Preliminary nCTEQ25 results
  4. Preliminary nCTEQ25 results
  5. Conclusion

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Average ratios of neutrino (left) and antineutrino (right) cross sections as measured by CHORUS, NuTeV and CDHSW to a theoretical NLO prediction with CT18A PDFs within the kinematic range $Q^2>4$ GeV$^2$ and $W^2>12.25 \,{\rm GeV}^2$. The data are compared with EPPS21 Eskola:2021nhw, nCTEQ15HQ Duwentaster:2022kpv and nNNPDF3.0 AbdulKhalek:2022fyi predictions. The SLAC/NMC parameterisation is also shown as a reference. Taken from Ref. Klasen:2023uqj.
  • Figure 2: Lead PDFs from recent dedicated nCTEQ analyses. The baseline nCTEQ15 Kovarik:2015cma fit is shown in black, nCTEQ15WZ Kusina:2020lyz in blue, nCTEQ15WZ+SIH Duwentaster:2021ioo in green, and nCTEQ15HQ Duwentaster:2022kpv in red.
  • Figure 3: Preliminary nCTEQ25 global analysis results (red, dashed) for valence up (top left), down (top right), strange (bottom left) and gluon (bottom right) nuclear PDFs at $Q^2=10$ GeV$^2$ compared to the corresponding results from the EPPS21 (blue, full) and nNNPDF3.0 (green, dot-dashed) global analyses.