Parton Distributions for Precision LHC Phenomenology (and beyond)

by Juan Rojo (CERN)

Friday 30 Sept 2011, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Zurich

TH Theory Conference Room (CERN)

Parton distributions are a crucial ingredient of the LHC physics program. In this talk we present recent developments in the field and introduce a new approach, the NNPDF approach, based on sound statistical methodology with artificial neural networks as universal unbiased interpolants. We compare predictions from different PDF sets with recent LHC data and show how some of these measurements, like W asymmetry or top production, already allow to discriminate between PDF sets. We show then how the NNPDF approach can be used to obtain precision determinations of important standard model parameters, from the strong coupling, CKM matrix elements, the lepton effective mixing angle or the mass of the W boson, and to identify new dynamical regimes like the onset of high energy QCD in HERA data. Finally, we discuss prospects for future developments in the field, and show how the wealth of LHC data will allow to produce accurate and reliable collider-only PDFs in the short term.

Slides rojo-CERNph-nnpdf.pdf