Speaker
Description
The high-energy tails of Drell-Yan processes provide important constraints on the light quark and anti-quark parton distribution functions (PDFs) in the large-x region. On the other hand, hypothetical high-mass new physics could smoothly distort the high-energy tails as described by the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). In this work, we assess for the first time the interplay between PDF and SMEFT effects in high-mass Drell-Yan at the LHC by performing a consistent joint determination of the PDFs and SMEFT Wilson coefficients. I will discuss the extent to which EFT signals which manifest in the tails of Drell-Yan distributions could be reabsorbed into the PDFs, and quantify the impact that a simultaneous fit of the PDFs and Wilson coefficients has on the SMEFT constraints in motivated new physics scenarios. Finally, I will present dedicated projections for the High-Luminosity LHC and evaluate its ultimate potential to constrain the SMEFT parameters while taking into account potential modifications of the PDFs.
