Compatibility of neutrino DIS data and global analyses of parton distribution functions

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether neutrino deep inelastic scattering data are compatible with existing nuclear corrections in global parton distribution function analyses, finding good agreement and potential for improved nuclear PDF constraints.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison of neutrino DIS data with theoretical predictions, confirming the consistency of nuclear effects across different scattering processes.

Findings

Good agreement between neutrino DIS data and nuclear correction models.

No significant disagreement between neutrino and charged lepton DIS nuclear effects.

Neutrino data can further refine nuclear parton distribution functions.

Abstract

Neutrino\antineutrino deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data provide useful constrains for the flavor decomposition in global fits of parton distribution functions (PDF). The smallness of the cross-sections requires the use of nuclear targets in the experimental setup. Understanding the nuclear corrections is, for this reason, of utmost importance for a precise determination of the PDFs. Here, we explore the nuclear effects in the neutrino\antineutrino-nucleon DIS by comparing the NuTeV, CDHSW, and CHORUS cross-sections to the predictions derived from the latest parton distribution functions and their nuclear modifications. We obtain a good description of these data and find no apparent disagreement between the nuclear effects in neutrino DIS and those in charged lepton DIS. These results also indicate that further improvements in the knowledge of the nuclear PDFs could be obtained by a more extensive use of these sets of neutrino data.