Recommendations for PDF usage in LHC predictions

TL;DR

This paper reviews modern parton distribution functions (PDFs) and their impact on LHC predictions, discussing theoretical assumptions and proposing alternatives to existing PDF usage recommendations for accurate collider predictions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of current PDFs, analyzes their theoretical foundations, and suggests an alternative framework to PDF4LHC recommendations for LHC predictions.

Findings

Differences in PDFs lead to varying LHC predictions.

Theoretical assumptions significantly influence PDF-based predictions.

Proposes an alternative to current PDF usage guidelines.

Abstract

A short review of the currently available modern parton distribution functions (PDFs)and the theory predictions obtained using those PDFs for several benchmark processes at LHC, including Higgs boson production, is presented in this write-up. It includes the discussion on theory assumptions made in the determination procedure of PDFs and an impact on the differences in the obtained predictions, followed by the alternative to PDF4LHC recommendations for the usage of PDF sets for theory predictions at the LHC.