arXiv subjects

S. A. Kulagin

Publications and source records attributed to S. A. Kulagin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

On the Cancellation of Nuclear Effects in the Valence Region

Deep-inelastic $e/μ$ scattering data on targets ranging from deuterium to lead indicate that nuclear modifications to the structure functions of bound nucleons are minimal in the kinematic region where valence quark distributions peak. A global analysis of measurements of the isoscalar cross-section ratios $σ^A/σ^{{}^2\text{H}}$ in the range $0.25 \leq x \leq 0.35$ reveals a remarkable cancellation of nuclear effects across all nuclei, yielding a mean value of $0.9988 \pm 0.0023$. We discuss these results and explore potential interpretations within a microscopic model for the nuclear modifications of the structure functions.

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arXiv2024

On the Interplay of Nuclear and Higher-Twist Corrections in Nuclear Structure Functions

We discuss results from our global QCD analyses including nuclear data off deuterium from various measurements, as well as off $\htri$ and $\hetri$ targets from the \mara{} experiment. We simultaneously determine the parton distribution functions of the proton, the higher-twist terms, and the nucleon off-shell correction functions responsible for the modifications of the partonic structure in bound protons and neutrons. In particular, we study the neutron-proton asymmetry of the off-shell correction and its interplay with the treatment of the higher-twist terms. We observe that the data on the $\hetri/\htri, \hetri/\hdeu$, and $\htri/\hdeu$ cross section ratio are in good agreement with the predictions based on a single isoscalar off-shell function. We provide the corresponding predictions on the ratio $F_2^n/F_2^p$, on the $d$ and $u$ quark distributions in the proton and in the $\htri$ and $\hetri$ nuclei, as well as for future measurements of the EMC effect with parity-violating Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS).

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arXiv2024

The EMC Effect of Tritium and Helium-3 from the JLab MARATHON Experiment

Measurements of the EMC effect in the tritium and helium-3 mirror nuclei are reported. The data were obtained by the MARATHON Jefferson Lab experiment, which performed deep inelastic electron scattering from deuterium and the three-body nuclei, using a cryogenic gas target system and the High Resolution Spectrometers of the Hall A Facility of the Lab. The data cover the Bjorken $x$ range from 0.20 to 0.83, corresponding to a squared four-momentum transfer $Q^2$ range from 2.7 to $11.9\gevsq$, and to an invariant mass $W$ of the final hadronic state greater than 1.84 GeV/${\it c}^2$. The tritium EMC effect measurement is the first of its kind. The MARATHON experimental results are compared to results from previous measurements by DESY-HERMES and JLab-Hall C experiments, as well as with few-body theoretical predictions.

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arXiv2023

Off-shell modifications of bound nucleons and parton distributions

We discuss results from our global QCD analyses including nuclear data off deuterium from various measurements, as well as off $^3$H and $^3$He targets from the MARATHON experiment. We simultaneously determine the parton distribution functions of the proton, the higher-twist terms, and the nucleon off-shell correction functions responsible for the modifications of the partonic structure in bound protons and neutrons. In particular, we study the neutron-proton asymmetry of the off-shell correction and its interplay with the treatment of the higher-twist terms. We observe that the data on the $^3$He/$^3$H cross section ratio are consistent with a single isoscalar off-shell function. We also provide our predictions on the ratio $F_2^n/F_2^p$ and on the $d$ and $u$ quark distributions in the proton and in the $^3$H and $^3$He nuclei.

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arXiv2023

Off-shell effects in bound nucleons and parton distributions from $^1$H, $^2$H, $^3$H and $^3$He data

We report the results of a new global QCD analysis including deep-inelastic scattering data off $^1$H, $^2$H, $^3$H, and $^3$He targets. Nuclear corrections are treated in terms of a nuclear convolution approach with off-shell bound nucleons. The off-shell (OS) corrections responsible for the modification of the structure functions (SFs) of bound nucleons are constrained in a global fit along with the proton parton distribution functions (PDFs) and the higher-twist (HT) terms. We investigate the proton-neutron difference for the OS correction and discuss our predictions for the SF ratio $F_2^n/F_2^p$ and the corresponding PDF ratio $d/u$ in the proton, as well as their correlations with the underlying treatment of the HT terms and of the OS corrections. In particular, we find that the recent MARATHON data are consistent with equal relative OS corrections for both the proton and the neutron.

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arXiv2022

Nuclear effects in the deuteron and global QCD analyses

We report the results of a new global QCD analysis, which includes deep-inelastic $e/μ$ scattering data off proton and deuterium, as well as Drell-Yan lepton pair production in proton-proton and proton-deuterium collisions and $W^\pm/Z$ boson production data from $pp$ and $p \bar p$ collisions at the LHC and Tevatron. Nuclear effects in the deuteron are treated in terms of a nuclear convolution approach with bound off-shell nucleons within a weak binding approximation. The off-shell correction is controlled by a universal function of the Bjorken variable $x$ describing the modification of parton distributions in bound nucleons, which is determined in our analysis along with the parton distribution functions of the proton. A number of systematic studies are performed to estimate the uncertainties arising from the use of various deuterium datasets, from the modeling of higher twist contributions to the structure functions, from the treatment of target mass corrections, as well as from the nuclear corrections in the deuteron. We obtain predictions for the ratios $F_2^n/F_2^p$, and $d/u$, focusing on the region of large $x$. We also compare our results with the ones obtained by other QCD analyses, as well as with the recent data from the MARATHON experiment.

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arXiv2022

Hybrid model of proton structure functions

We develop a "hybrid" model of the proton inelastic structure functions applicable in a wide region of invariant mass of produced states $W$ and invariant momentum transfer $Q$ including deep inelastic scattering (DIS), nucleon resonance production as well as the region close to inelastic threshold. DIS is described in terms of the parton distributions together with higher-twist corrections from an available global QCD fit. The resonant part is addressed in terms of the Breit-Wiegner contributions from five states including the $Δ(1232)$ resonance, the $N(1440)$ Roper resonance, and three effective resonances describing the second and third resonance regions. The couplings of the nucleon resonances to photon are described in terms of helicity amplitudes. The nonresonant background is addressed in terms of DIS structure functions smoothly extrapolated to low-$W$ and low-$Q$ values with the proper behavior at the real photon limit $Q^2=0$ as well as near the inelastic threshold. We independently treat the transverse $F_T$ and the longitudinal $F_L$ structure function and fix the model parameters from a global analysis of the world hydrogen electroproduction and photoproduction cross-section data. We demonstrate a very good performance of the model by comparing our predictions with data on differential cross sections and the structure functions $F_2$ and $R=F_L/F_T$.

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arXiv2021

Measurement of the Nucleon $F^n_2/F^p_2$ Structure Function Ratio by the Jefferson Lab MARATHON Tritium/Helium-3 Deep Inelastic Scattering Experiment

The ratio of the nucleon $F_2$ structure functions, $F_2^n/F_2^p$, is determined by the MARATHON experiment from measurements of deep inelastic scattering of electrons from $^3$H and $^3$He nuclei. The experiment was performed in the Hall A Facility of Jefferson Lab and used two high resolution spectrometers for electron detection, and a cryogenic target system which included a low-activity tritium cell. The data analysis used a novel technique exploiting the mirror symmetry of the two nuclei, which essentially eliminates many theoretical uncertainties in the extraction of the ratio. The results, which cover the Bjorken scaling variable range $0.19 < x < 0.83$, represent a significant improvement compared to previous SLAC and Jefferson Lab measurements for the ratio. They are compared to recent theoretical calculations and empirical determinations of the $F_2^n/F_2^p$ ratio.

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arXiv2018

Nuclear effects in the deuteron in the resonance and deep-inelastic scattering region

We discuss a hybrid model of the proton and neutron inelastic structure functions which incorporates both the partonic and the nucleon resonance structures and applicable in a wide region of the invariant mass $W$ of produced hadronic states. Focusing at the typical kinematics of JLab experiments we compute the deuteron structure functions and demonstrate good performance of the model against data. We perform systematic study of the ratios $F_2^n/F_2^d$ and $(F_2^p+F_2^n)/F_2^d$ for both, the deep-inelastic and the resonance, region in the context of recent measurements of BoNuS experiment at Jefferson Lab.

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arXiv2017

Predictions for Cold Nuclear Matter Effects in $p+$Pb Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}} = 8.16$ TeV

Predictions for cold nuclear matter effects on charged hadrons, identified light hadrons, quarkonium and heavy flavor hadrons, Drell-Yan dileptons, jets, photons, gauge bosons and top quarks produced in $p+$Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}} = 8.16$ TeV are compiled and, where possible, compared to each other. Predictions of the normalized ratios of $p+$Pb to $p+p$ cross sections are also presented for most of the observables, providing new insights into the expected role of cold nuclear matter effects. In particular, the role of nuclear parton distribution functions on particle production can now be probed over a wider range of phase space than ever before.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2017

Nuclear Effects in the Deuteron and Constraints on the d/u Ratio

We present a detailed study of nuclear corrections in the deuteron (D) by performing an analysis of data from deep inelastic scattering off proton and D, dilepton pair production in $pp$ and pD interactions, and W^+- and Z boson production in pp and p pbar collisions. In particular, we discuss the determination of the off-shell function describing the modification of the parton distribution functions in bound nucleons in the context of global QCD fits. Our results are consistent with the ones obtained independently from the study of deep inelastic scattering data off heavy nuclei with $A\geq4$, further confirming the universality of the off-shell function. We also study the sensitivity to the modeling of the deuteron wave function. As an important application we discuss the impact of nuclear corrections to the deuteron on the determination of the d quark distribution.

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arXiv2016

Nuclear Parton Distributions

We review a microscopic model of the nuclear parton distribution functions, which accounts for a number of nuclear effects including Fermi motion and nuclear binding, nuclear meson-exchange currents, off-shell corrections to bound nucleon distributions and nuclear shadowing. We also discuss applications of this model to a number of processes including lepton-nucleus deep inelastic scattering, proton-nucleus Drell-Yan lepton pair production at Fermilab, as well as W+- and Z0 boson production in proton-lead collisions at the LHC.

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arXiv2016

Study of W and Z Boson Production in Proton-Lead Collisions at the LHC with KP Nuclear Parton Distributions

We present a detailed study of the (pseudo)rapidity distributions of massive vector bosons produced in p+p and p+Pb collisions at the LHC within the next-to-leading order approximation in perturbative quantum chromodynamics. In particular, we discuss the impact of different cold nuclear matter effects on this process using the nuclear parton distributions calculated from the microscopic model developed by Kulagin and Petti (KP). This model was successfully applied to study nuclear effects in the deep-inelastic scattering and the Drell-Yan reactions off various (fixed) target nuclei. Results are compared with the recent CMS and ATLAS p+Pb data with \sqrt{s}=5.02 TeV per two colliding nucleons. We found an excellent agreement between the predictions of the KP model and the recent LHC data on W+- and Z0 production in p+Pb collisions, including the differential cross sections, the forward-backward asymmetries, and W charge asymmetry. We also discuss the sensitivity of the current and future LHC data to the underlying mechanisms responsible for the nuclear modifications of parton density functions.

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arXiv2016

Nuclear Effects in the Deuteron and Global PDF Fits

We present a detailed study of nuclear corrections in the deuteron (D) from an analysis of data from charged-lepton deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) off proton and D, as well as from dimuon pair production in pp and pD collisions and $W^\pm$ and the $Z$ boson production at pp (p$\rm \bar p$) colliders. In particular, we discuss the determination of the off-shell function describing the modification of parton distributions (PDF) in bound nucleons in the context of global PDF fits. Our results are consistent with the ones obtained earlier from the study of the ratios of DIS structure functions $F_2^A/F_2^D$ in nuclei with $A\geq4$, confirming the universality of the off-shell function. We also discuss the sensitivity to various models of the deuteron wave function and the impact of nuclear corrections on the determination of the $d$ quark distribution.

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arXiv2016

Modelling the nuclear parton distributions

We review a semi-microscopic model of nuclear parton distributions, which takes into account a number of nuclear effects including Fermi motion and nuclear binding, nuclear meson-exchange currents and off-shell corrections to bound nucleon distributions as well as nuclear shadowing effect. We also discuss applications of the model to the lepton-nuclear deep-inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan process and neutrino total cross sections.

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arXiv2015

Nuclear Parton Distributions and the Drell-Yan Reaction

We discuss the nuclear parton distribution functions on the basis of our recently developed semi-microscopic model, which takes into account a number of nuclear effects including Fermi motion and nuclear binding, nuclear meson-exchange currents and off-shell corrections to bound nucleon distributions as well as nuclear shadowing effect. We also discuss application to the nuclear Drell-Yan process and compare our predictions with data from the E772 and E866 experiments.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of muon plus proton final states in $ν_μ$ Interactions on Hydrocarbon at $\langle$$E_ν$$\rangle$ = 4.2 GeV

A study of charged-current muon neutrino scattering on hydrocarbon in which the final state includes a muon and a proton and no pions is presented. Although this signature has the topology of neutrino quasielastic scattering from neutrons, the event sample contains contributions from both quasielastic and inelastic processes where pions are absorbed in the nucleus. The analysis accepts events with muon production angles up to 70$^{\circ}$ and proton kinetic energies greater than 110 MeV. The extracted cross section, when based completely on hadronic kinematics, is well-described by a simple relativistic Fermi gas nuclear model including the neutrino event generator modeling for inelastic processes and particle transportation through the nucleus. This is in contrast to the quasielastic cross section based on muon kinematics, which is best described by an extended model that incorporates multi-nucleon correlations. This measurement guides the formulation of a complete description of neutrino-nucleus interactions that encompasses the hadronic as well as the leptonic aspects of this process.

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arXiv2015

Measurement of Ratios of $ν_μ$ Charged-Current Cross Sections on C, Fe, and Pb to CH at Neutrino Energies 2-20 GeV

We present measurements of $ν_μ$ charged-current cross section ratios on carbon, iron, and lead relative to a scintillator (CH) using the fine-grained MINERvA detector exposed to the NuMI neutrino beam at Fermilab. The measurements utilize events of energies $2 =8~GeV$, which have a reconstructed $μ^{-}$ scattering angle less than $17^\circ$ to extract ratios of inclusive total cross sections as a function of neutrino energy $E_ν$ and flux-integrated differential cross sections with respect to the Bjorken scaling variable $x$. These results provide the first high-statistics direct measurements of nuclear effects in neutrino scattering using different targets in the same neutrino beam. Measured cross section ratios exhibit a relative depletion at low $x$ and enhancement at large $x$. Both become more pronounced as the nucleon number of the target nucleus increases. The data are not reproduced by GENIE, a conventional neutrino-nucleus scattering simulation, or by the alternative models for the nuclear dependence of inelastic scattering that are considered.

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