https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-08826-7
Regular Article – Theoretical Physics
Deuteron uncertainties in the determination of proton PDFs
1
The Higgs Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Edinburgh, JCMB, KB, Mayfield Rd, EH9 3FD, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
2
Nikhef Theory Group, Science Park 105, 1098 XG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
b
emanuele.roberto.nocera@gmail.com
Received:
4
November
2020
Accepted:
28
December
2020
Published online:
18
January
2021
We evaluate the uncertainties due to nuclear effects in global fits of proton parton distribution functions (PDFs) that utilise deep-inelastic scattering and Drell–Yan data on deuterium targets. To do this we use an iterative procedure to determine proton and deuteron PDFs simultaneously, each including the uncertainties in the other. We apply this procedure to determine the nuclear uncertainties in the SLAC, BCDMS, NMC and DYE866/NuSea fixed target deuteron data included in the NNPDF3.1 global fit. We show that the effect of the nuclear uncertainty on the proton PDFs is small, and that the increase in overall uncertainties is insignificant once we correct for nuclear effects.
© The Author(s) 2021
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