https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-7119-3
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Fitting the b-quark PDF as a massive-b scheme: Higgs production in bottom fusion
1
Tif Lab, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Milano and INFN, Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133, Milan, Italy
2
The Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FD, UK
3
IPhT, CEA Saclay, CNRS UMR 3681, 91191, Gif-Sur-Yvette, France
* e-mail: stefano.forte@mi.infn.it
Received:
16
May
2019
Accepted:
8
July
2019
Published online:
18
July
2019
We show that a simple and accurate approach to the computation of hadron collider processes involving initial-state b quarks can be obtained by introducing an independently parametrized b PDF. We use the so-called FONLL method for the matching of a scheme in which the b quark is treated as a massless parton to that in which it is treated as a massive state, and extend it to the case in which the b quark PDF is not necessarily determined by perturbative matching conditions. This generalizes to hadronic collisions analogous results previously obtained for deep-inelastic scattering. The results corresponds to a “massive b” scheme, in which b mass effects are retained, yet the b quark is endowed with a PDF. We specifically study Higgs production in bottom fusion, and show that our approach overcomes difficulties related to the fact that in a standard massive four-flavor scheme b-quark induced processes only start at high perturbative orders.
© The Author(s), 2019
