nPDF constraints from the Large Hadron Electron Collider

TL;DR

This paper evaluates how the future Large Hadron Electron Collider will improve constraints on nuclear parton distribution functions, especially reducing uncertainties at small-x for sea quarks and gluons.

Contribution

It introduces a more flexible small-x parametrization for nuclear PDFs and quantifies the impact of LHeC pseudodata on reducing uncertainties.

Findings

Significant reduction in small-x uncertainties for sea quarks and gluons.

Flexible parametrization leads to less biased uncertainty estimates.

LHeC pseudodata enhances nuclear PDF constraints.

Abstract

An updated analysis regarding the expected nuclear PDF constraints from the future Large Hadron Electron Collider (LHeC) experiment is presented. The new study is based on a more flexible small-$x$ parametrization which provides less biased uncertainty estimates in the region where there are currently no data constraints. The effect of the LHeC is quantified by directly including a sample of pseudodata according to the expected precision of this planned experiment. As a result, a significant reduction of the small-$x$ uncertainties in sea quarks and gluons is observed.