arXiv · 2207.00690
Regularising experimental correlations in LHC data: theory and application to a global analysis of parton distributions
Abstract
We show how an inaccurate determination of experimental uncertainty correlations in high-precision LHC measurements may undermine the reliability of the associated $\chi^2$. We formulate the problem rigorously, and devise a regularisation procedure that increases the stability of the $\chi^2$ by altering the covariance matrix of the measurement as little as possible. We apply the procedure to the NNPDF4.0 global analysis of parton distribution functions that utilises a large amount of LHC measurements. We find that the regularised $\chi^2$ of the NNPDF4.0 determination is lowered by about $3\sigma$, without significantly altering the resulting PDFs upon refitting.
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Zahari Kassabov, Emanuele R. Nocera, Michael Wilson. 2022-07-01. Regularising experimental correlations in LHC data: theory and application to a global analysis of parton distributions. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-022-10932-7
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