The DGLAP analyses of the nuclear parton distribution functions (nPDF) based on the global fits to the data are reviewed, and the results from EKS98 and HKM are compared. The usefulness of measuring hard probes in $pA$ collisions, at the LHC in particular, is demonstrated.
The neutrino deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data is very interesting for global analyses of proton and nuclear parton distribution functions (PDFs) since they provide crucial information on the strange quark distribution in the proton and allow for a better flavor decompositon of the PDFs. In order to use neutrino DIS data in a global analysis of proton PDFs nuclear effects need to be understood. We study these effects with the help of nuclear PDFs extracted from global analyses of charged-lepton DIS, Drell-Yan and neutrino DIS data at next-to-leading order in QCD.
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 requires 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.
In this talk, we shortly report results from our recent global DGLAP analysis of nuclear parton distributions. This is an extension of our former EKS98-analysis improved with an automated $chi^2$ minimization procedure and uncertainty estimates. Although our new analysis show no significant deviation from EKS98, a sign of a significantly stronger gluon shadowing could be seen in the RHIC BRAHMS data.
A brief overview of the global DGLAP analyses of the nuclear parton distribution functions is given. Although all the current global nPDF sets describe $R_{F_2}^A(x,Q^2)$ well in the large-$x$ region where the data exist, variations between their parton distributions can be substantial.
A reliable determination of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element $|V_{cb}|$ is mandatory for precision flavor physics and for the search for CP violating phases from new, heavy particles. In this article, we review the theory of the determination of $|V_{cb}|$ from inclusive semileptonic $B$ decays. We discuss the available measurements of the semileptonic $B$ branching fraction and other inclusive observables in B decays relevant to the determination of $|V_{cb}|$. Finally, we perform a global fit to extract $|V_{cb}|$ and the $b$-quark mass $m_b$.