The PDF4LHC report on PDFs and LHC data: Results from Run I and preparation for Run II

TL;DR

This report reviews the impact of Run I LHC data on proton PDFs, discusses recent advances in PDF analysis methods, and outlines prospects for further improvements with Run II data to support LHC physics goals.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive summary of how Run I data has improved PDFs and offers guidance for future measurements in Run II to refine these functions.

Findings

Run I data significantly constrained proton PDFs.

New analysis tools have improved PDF extraction accuracy.

Run II data will further enhance PDF precision.

Abstract

The accurate determination of the Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) of the proton is an essential ingredient of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) program. PDF uncertainties impact a wide range of processes, from Higgs boson characterisation and precision Standard Model measurements to New Physics searches. A major recent development in modern PDF analyses has been to exploit the wealth of new information contained in precision measurements from the LHC Run I, as well as progress in tools and methods to include these data in PDF fits. In this report we summarise the information that PDF-sensitive measurements at the LHC have provided so far, and review the prospects for further constraining PDFs with data from the recently started Run II. This document aims to provide useful input to the LHC collaborations to prioritise their PDF-sensitive measurements at Run II, as well as a comprehensive reference for the PDF-fitting collaborations.