Extracting Parton Distribution Functions from Lattice QCD Calculations

TL;DR

This paper introduces a method to extract parton distribution functions (PDFs) from lattice QCD calculations by using lattice cross sections, demonstrating factorization and calculating relevant coefficients at next-to-leading order.

Contribution

It proposes a novel approach to determine PDFs from lattice QCD data through the concept of lattice cross sections and demonstrates factorization at all orders in perturbation theory.

Findings

Successful demonstration of factorization of quasi-quark distributions into PDFs.

Calculation of factorized coefficients at next-to-leading order in α_s.

Validation of lattice cross sections as a viable tool for PDF extraction.

Abstract

Parton distribution functions (PDFs) are nonperturbative quantities describing the relation between a hadron and quarks and gluons within it. We propose to extract PDFs from QCD global analysis of "data" generated by lattice QCD calculations of good "lattice cross sections", which are basically single-hadron matrix elements that are lattice QCD calculable and perturbative QCD factorizable into the PDFs. To demonstrate the existence of good "lattice cross sections", we take quasi-quark distribution introduced by Ji [1] as a case study to show that it could be factorized into the PDFs to all orders in perturbation theory if it can be multiplicatively renormalized. We calculate the factorized coefficients at the next-to-leading order in $\alpha_s$.