We show for the first time preliminary results of nuclear parton distribution function analysis of charged lepton DIS and Drell-Yan data within the CTEQ framework including error PDFs. We compare our error estimates to estimates of different nPDF groups.
We study the possibility of intrinsic (non-perturbative) charm in parton distribution functions (PDF) of the proton, within the context of the CT10 next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) global analysis. Three models for the intrinsic charm (IC) quark content are compared: (i) $hat{c}(x) = 0$ (zero-IC model); (ii) $hat{c}(x)$ is parametrized by a valence-like parton distribution (BHPS model); (iii) $hat{c}(x)$ is parametrized by a sea-like parton distribution (SEA model). In these models, the intrinsic charm content, $hat{c}(x)$, is included in the charm PDF at the matching scale $Q_c=m_c=1.3$ GeV. The best fits to data are constructed and compared. Correlations between the value of $m_c$ and the amount of IC are also considered.
We present the CTEQ6HQ parton distribution set which is determined in the general variable flavor number scheme which incorporates heavy flavor mass effects; hence, this set provides advantages for precision observables which are sensitive to charm and bottom quark masses. We describe the analysis procedure, examine the predominant features of the new distributions, and compare with previous distributions. We also examine the uncertainties of the strange quark distribution and how the the recent NuTeV dimuon data constrains this quantity.
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 behind the results.
We present an improved leading-order global DGLAP analysis of nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs), supplementing the traditionally used data from deep inelastic lepton-nucleus scattering and Drell-Yan dilepton production in proton-nucleus collisions, with inclusive high-$p_T$ hadron production data measured at RHIC in d+Au collisions. With the help of an extended definition of the $chi^2$ function, we now can more efficiently exploit the constraints the different data sets offer, for gluon shadowing in particular, and account for the overall data normalization uncertainties during the automated $chi^2$ minimization. The very good simultaneous fit to the nuclear hard process data used demonstrates the feasibility of a universal set of nPDFs, but also limitations become visible. The high-$p_T$ forward-rapidity hadron data of BRAHMS add a new crucial constraint into the analysis by offering a direct probe for the nuclear gluon distributions -- a sector in the nPDFs which has traditionally been very badly constrained. We obtain a strikingly stronger gluon shadowing than what has been estimated in previous global analyses. The obtained nPDFs are released as a parametrization called EPS08.
We present a next-to-leading order (NLO) global DGLAP analysis of nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDFs) and their uncertainties. Carrying out an NLO nPDF analysis for the first time with three different types of experimental input -- deep inelastic $ell$+A scattering, Drell-Yan dilepton production in p+$A$ collisions, and inclusive pion production in d+Au and p+p collisions at RHIC -- we find that these data can well be described in a conventional collinear factorization framework. Although the pion production has not been traditionally included in the global analyses, we find that the shape of the nuclear modification factor $R_{rm dAu}$ of the pion $p_T$-spectrum at midrapidity retains sensitivity to the gluon distributions, providing evidence for shadowing and EMC-effect in the nuclear gluons. We use the Hessian method to quantify the nPDF uncertainties which originate from the uncertainties in the data. In this method the sensitivity of $chi^2$ to the variations of the fitting parameters is mapped out to orthogonal error sets which provide a user-friendly way to calculate how the nPDF uncertainties propagate to any factorizable nuclear cross-section. The obtained NLO and LO nPDFs and the corresponding error sets are collected in our new release called {ttfamily EPS09}. These results should find applications in precision analyses of the signatures and properties of QCD matter at the LHC and RHIC.