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J. Bluemlein

Publications and source records attributed to J. Bluemlein.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2023

Snowmass 2021 whitepaper: Proton structure at the precision frontier

An overwhelming number of theoretical predictions for hadron colliders require parton distribution functions (PDFs), which are an important ingredient of theory infrastructure for the next generation of high-energy experiments. This whitepaper summarizes the status and future prospects for determination of high-precision PDFs applicable in a wide range of energies and experiments, in particular in precision tests of the Standard Model and in new physics searches at the high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider and Electron-Ion Collider. We discuss the envisioned advancements in experimental measurements, QCD theory, global analysis methodology, and computing that are necessary to bring unpolarized PDFs in the nucleon to the N2LO and N3LO accuracy in the QCD coupling strength. Special attention is given to the new tasks that emerge in the era of the precision PDF analysis, such as those focusing on the robust control of systematic factors both in experimental measurements and theoretical computations. Various synergies between experimental and theoretical studies of the hadron structure are explored, including opportunities for studying PDFs for nuclear and meson targets, PDFs with electroweak contributions or dependence on the transverse momentum, for incisive comparisons between phenomenological models for the PDFs and computations on discrete lattice, and for cross-fertilization with machine learning/AI approaches. [Submitted to the US Community Study on the Future of Particle Physics (Snowmass 2021).]

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arXiv2022

The strong coupling constant: State of the art and the decade ahead

Theoretical predictions for particle production cross sections and decays at colliders rely heavily on perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) calculations, expressed as an expansion in powers of the strong coupling constant $\alpha_s$. The current $\mathcal{O}(1\%)$ uncertainty of the QCD coupling evaluated at the reference Z boson mass, $\alpha_s(m_Z) = 0.1179 \pm 0.0009$, is one of the limiting factors to more precisely describe multiple processes at current and future colliders. A reduction of this uncertainty is thus a prerequisite to perform precision tests of the Standard Model as well as searches for new physics. This report provides a comprehensive summary of the state-of-the-art, challenges, and prospects in the experimental and theoretical study of the strong coupling. The current $\alpha_s(m_Z)$ world average is derived from a combination of seven categories of observables: (i) lattice QCD, (ii) hadronic $\tau$ decays, (iii) deep-inelastic scattering and parton distribution functions fits, (iv) electroweak boson decays, hadronic final-states in (v) $e^+e^-$, (vi) e-p, and (vii) p-p collisions, and (viii) quarkonia decays and masses. We review the current status of each of these seven $\alpha_s(m_Z)$ extraction methods, discuss novel $\alpha_s$ determinations, and examine the averaging method used to obtain the world-average value. Each of the methods discussed provides a ``wish list'' of experimental and theoretical developments required in order to achieve the goal of a per-mille precision on $\alpha_s(m_Z)$ within the next decade.

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arXiv2020

Heavy-flavor PDF evolution and variable-flavor number scheme uncertainties in deep-inelastic scattering

We consider a detailed account on the construction of the heavy-quark parton distribution functions for charm and bottom, starting from $n_f=3$ light flavors in the fixed-flavor number (FFN) scheme and by using the standard decoupling relations for heavy quarks in QCD. We also account for two-mass effects. Furthermore, different implementations of the variable-flavor-number (VFN) scheme in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) are studied, with the particular focus on the resummation of large logarithms in $Q^2/m_h^2$, the ratio the virtuality of the exchanged gauge-boson $Q^2$ to the heavy-quark mass squared $m_h^2$. A little impact of resummation effects if found in the kinematic range of the existing data on the DIS charm-quark production so that they can be described very well within the FFN scheme. Finally, we study the theoretical uncertainties associated to the VFN scheme, which manifest predominantly at small $Q^2$.

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arXiv2019

Resummation of large logarithms in the VFN scheme for DIS heavy-quark production

We consider the impact of the resummation of large logarithms, which appear in the QCD evolution of the heavy-quark distributions, on the phenomenology of deep-inelastic heavy-quark production. The heavy-quark PDFs are derived using the fixed-order matching conditions as a boundary for the QCD evolution and the result obtained is compared to the distributions defined by the matching conditions at all scales. With such an approach, the effect of heavy-quark PDF evolution is found to be sizable at LO and dramatically reduces at NLO. The NNLO evolved distributions are not very different from the NLO ones at large scales, however, show substantial differences at low virtualities, i.e. where the additional large logarithms are numerically not important, while a mismatch between the NLO accuracy of the matching conditions and the NNLO accuracy in the evolution kernels causes a substantial excess in the heavy-quark distributions. This excess propagates into the variable flavor number (VFN) scheme predictions for the deep-inelastic structure functions and has to be compensated by a decrease in the small-$x$ gluon distribution determined from PDF fits based on the VFN scheme, which should be considered as a theoretical uncertainty in VFN PDF fits and reaches $\sim 30\%$ for the small-$x$ gluon distribution extracted from the data on deep-inelastic charm-quark production.

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arXiv2019

An Update of the ABMP16 PDF Fit

We present an updated version of the ABMP16 nucleon PDFs, which is tuned by using recent precise data on $W$- and $Z/γ^*$-production at the LHC and the final HERA data on DIS $c$- and $b$-quark production and by imposing a stringent $Q^2$-cut on the inclusive DIS data in order to avoid the impact of higher twist terms at small $x$ at HERA. The new $W$- and $Z$-boson production data, in particular the updated version of the ATLAS data at the c.m.s. energy 7 TeV, are well accommodated into the present fit. The strange sea distribution obtained is consistent with the average of the up and down quark ones at small $x$. However, it is still suppressed with respect to the non-strange one by a factor of $\sim 0.5$ at moderate $x$. The small-$x$ gluon distribution is enhanced as compared to the previous ABMP16 fit, in line with updated data on the DIS $c$-quark production. Finally, a good description of the non-resonant $γ^*/Z$-production data, which are included into the ABM analysis for the first time, is achieved provided the photon-initiated lepton pair production is taken into account.

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arXiv2018

NNLO PDFs for the LHC

We consider some trends, achievements and a series of remaining problems in the precision determination of parton distribution functions. For the description of the scaling violations of the deep-inelastic scattering data, forming the key ingredients to all PDF fits, a solid theoretical framework is of importance. It is provided by the fixed flavor number scheme in describing the heavy-quark contributions which is found in good agreement with the present experimental data in a very wide range of momentum transfers. In this framework also a consistent determination of the heavy-quark masses is possible at high precision. The emerging Drell-Yan data measured at hadron colliders start to play a crucial role in disentangling the quark species, particularly at small and large values of $x$. These new inputs demonstrate a good overall consistency with the earlier constraints on the PDFs coming from fixed-target experiments. No dramatic change is observed in the PDFs in case of a consistent account of the higher-order QCD corrections and when leaving enough flexibility in the PDF shape parameterization.}

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arXiv2018

Strange and non-strange distributions from the collider data

We check the stability of the ABMP16 fit with respect to modifications of quark PDFs suggested in the recent literature: the strange sea enhancement and a positive non-vanishing $d/u$ ratio at $x \to 1$. These possibilities are examined using test versions of the ABMP16 PDF fit which demonstrate no need of those changes. Furthermore, we localize peculiar features in other analyses which are responsible for a different behaviour of the PDFs obtained. The strange sea enhancement can be explained by a choice of the PDF shapes being not flexible enough and therefore leading to an over-suppressed $d$-quark distribution. This suppression has to be compensated by a corresponding rise by the $s$-quark distribution. As a result, an unusually large strange sea suppression factor is obtained. The non-vanishing value of $d/u\vert _{x=1}$ becomes consistent with zero in case the higher-order QCD corrections to the DØ $W$-asymmetry data, which drive its value, are taken into account. Furthermore, the related $e$-asymmetry sample prefers a slightly negative value of $d/u\vert _{x=1}$, although it is consistent with zero. These clarifications support confidence in the PDF shapes used in the ABMP16 analyses.

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arXiv2016

PDFs, $α_s$, and quark masses from global fits

The strong coupling constant $α_s$ and the heavy-quark masses, $m_c$, $m_b$, $m_t$ are extracted simultaneosly with the parton distribution functions (PDFs) in the updated ABM12 fit including recent data from CERN-SPS, HERA, Tevatron, and the LHC. The values of \begin{eqnarray} \nonumber α_s(M_Z)&=&0.1147\pm0.0008~({\rm exp.)},\\ \nonumber m_c(m_c)&=&1.252\pm 0.018~({\rm exp.})~{\rm GeV},\\ \nonumber m_b(m_b)&=&3.83\pm0.12~({\rm exp.})~{\rm GeV},\\ \nonumber m_t(m_t)&=&160.9\pm1.1~({\rm exp.})~{\rm GeV} \end{eqnarray} are obtained with the $\overline{MS}$ heavy-quark mass definition being employed throughout the analysis.

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arXiv2016

The new ABMP16 PDF

We present an update of the ABM12 PDF analysis including improved constraints due to the final version of the inclusive DIS HERA data, the Tevatron and LHC data on the W- and Z-production and those on heavy-quark production in the electron- and neutrino-induced DIS at HERA and the fixed-target experiments NOMAD and CHORUS. We also check the impact of the Tevatron and LHC top-quark production data on the PDFs and the strong coupling constant. We obtain $α_s(M_Z)=0.1145(9)$ and $0.1147(8)$ with and without the top-quark data included, respectively.

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arXiv2015

Iso-spin asymmetry of quark distributions and implications for single top-quark production at the LHC

We present an improved determination of the up- and down-quark distributions in the proton using recent data on charged lepton asymmetries from $W^\pm$ gauge-boson production at the LHC and Tevatron. The analysis is performed in the framework of a global fit of parton distribution functions. The fit results are consistent with a non-zero iso-spin asymmetry of the sea, $x(\bar d - \bar u)$, at small values of Bjorken $x\sim 10^{-4}$ indicating a delayed onset of the Regge asymptotics of a vanishing $(\bar d - \bar u)$-asymmetry at small-$x$. We compare with up- and down-quark distributions available in the literature and provide accurate predictions for the production of single top-quarks at the LHC, a process which can serve as a standard candle for the light quark flavor content of the proton.

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arXiv2015

Nucleon PDF separation with the collider and fixed-target data

We consider the impact of the recent data obtained by the LHC, Tevatron, and fixed-target experiments on the nucleon quark distributions with a particular focus on disentangling different quark species. An improved determination of the poorly known strange sea distribution is obtained due to including data from the neutrino-induced deep-inelastic scattering experiments NOMAD and CHORUS. The impact of the associated (W + c) production data by CMS and ATLAS on the strange sea determination is also studied and a comparison with earlier results based on the collider data is discussed. Finally, the recent LHC and Tevatron data on the charged lepton asymmetry are compared to the NNLO ABM predictions and the potential of this input in improving the non-strange sea distributions is evaluated.

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arXiv2014

Determination of Strange Sea Quark Distributions from Fixed-target and Collider Data

We present an improved determination of the strange sea distribution in the nucleon with constraints coming from the recent charm production data in neutrino-nucleon deep-inelastic scattering by the NOMAD and CHORUS experiments and from charged current inclusive deep-inelastic scattering at HERA. We demonstrate that the results are consistent with the data from the ATLAS and the CMS experiments on the associated production of $W^\pm$-bosons with $c$-quarks. We also discuss issues related to the recent strange sea determination by the ATLAS experiment using LHC collider data.

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arXiv2013

The ABM parton distributions tuned to LHC data

We present a global fit of parton distributions at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD. The fit is based on the world data for deep-inelastic scattering, fixed-target data for the Drell-Yan process and includes, for the first time, data from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for the Drell-Yan process and the hadro-production of top-quark pairs. The analysis applies the fixed-flavor number scheme for n_f=3,4,5, uses the MS-bar scheme for the strong coupling α_s and the heavy-quark masses and keeps full account of the correlations among all non-perturbative parameters. At NNLO this returns the values of α_s(M_Z) = 0.1132 +- 0.0011 and m_t(pole) = 171.2 +- 2.4 GeV for the top-quark pole mass.The fit results are used to compute benchmark cross sections for Higgs production at the LHC to NNLO accuracy. We compare our results to those obtained by other groups and show that differences can be linked to different theoretical descriptions of the underlying physical processes.

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arXiv2013

ABM11 PDFs and the cross section benchmarks in NNLO

We report an updated version of the ABKM09 NNLO PDF fit, which includes the most recent HERA collider data on the inclusive cross sections and an improved treatment of the heavy-quark contribution to deep-inelastic scattering using advantages of the running-mass definition for the heavy quarks. The ABM11 PDFs obtained from the updated fit are in a good agreement with the recent LHC data on the W- and Z-production within the experimental and PDF uncertainties. We also perform a determination of the strong coupling constant α_s in a variant of the ABM11 fit insensitive to the influence of the higher twist terms and find the value of α_s=0.1133(11) which is in good agreement with the nominal ABM11 one and our earlier determination.

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arXiv2012

Statistical issues in the parton distribution analysis of the Tevatron jet data

We analyse a tension between the D0 and CDF inclusive jet data and the perturbative QCD calculations, which are based on the ABKM09 and ABM11 parton distribution functions (PDFs) within the nuisance parameter framework. Particular attention is paid on the uncertainties in the nuisance parameters due to the data fluctuations and the PDF errors. We show that with account of these uncertainties the nuisance parameters do not demonstrate a statistically significant excess. A statistical bias of the estimator based on the nuisance parameters is also discussed.

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arXiv2012

ABM11 parton distributions and benchmarks

We present a determination of the nucleon parton distribution functions (PDFs) and of the strong coupling constant $α_s$ at next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) in QCD based on the world data for deep-inelastic scattering and the fixed-target data for the Drell-Yan process. The analysis is performed in the fixed-flavor number scheme for $n_f=3,4,5$ and uses the $\bar{MS}$ scheme for $α_s$ and the heavy quark masses. The fit results are compared with other PDFs and used to compute the benchmark cross sections at hadron colliders to the NNLO accuracy.

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arXiv2012

PDF fit in the fixed-flavor-number scheme

We discuss the heavy-quark contribution to deep inelastic scattering in the scheme with $n_f=3,4,5$ fixed flavors. Based on the recent ABM11 PDF analysis of world data for deep-inelastic scattering and fixed-target data for the Drell-Yan process with the running-mass definition for heavy quarks we show that fixed flavor number scheme is sufficient for describing the deep-inelastic-scattering data in the entire kinematic range. We compare with other PDF sets and comment on the implications for measuring the strong coupling constant $α_s(M_Z)$.

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