Precision QCD for LHC Physics: The nCTEQ15 PDFs

TL;DR

This paper introduces the nCTEQ15 parton distribution functions (PDFs) that incorporate recent theoretical advances for precision QCD predictions at the LHC, especially considering heavy quark effects across all energy scales.

Contribution

The paper presents the nCTEQ15 PDFs, integrating recent theoretical developments to better include heavy quark masses in LHC predictions.

Findings

Improved accuracy in modeling heavy quark contributions at LHC energies

Enhanced PDFs for better Standard Model predictions

Identification of areas needing further theoretical development

Abstract

Searches for new physics at the LHC will increasingly depend on identifying deviations from precision Standard Model (SM) predictions. At the higher energy scales involved for the LHC Run 2, the heavy quarks play a more prominent role than at the Tevatron. Recent theoretical developments improve our ability to address multi-scale problems and properly incorporate heavy quark masses across the full kinematic range. These developments are incorporated into the new nCTEQ15 PDFs, and we review these developments with respect to sample Run 2 measurements, and identify areas where additional effort is required.