Pion-nucleus induced Drell-Yan cross section in models inspired by light-front holography

TL;DR

This paper compares two light-front holographic models of the pion to predict Drell-Yan cross sections, showing their consistency with experimental data after QCD evolution and nuclear effects are included.

Contribution

It introduces and tests two pion light-front wave function models inspired by holography for Drell-Yan processes, aligning predictions with experimental results.

Findings

Valence quark distributions match experimental data after QCD evolution.

Predicted Drell-Yan cross sections agree with Fermilab measurements.

Models successfully incorporate nuclear effects in cross section calculations.

Abstract

We evaluate the cross section for the pion induced Drell-Yan process in two different models of the pion light-front wave function, inspired by light-front holographic approaches. We obtain the valence quark distribution functions in those models, which after QCD evolution, are consistent with the experimental data from the E-0615 experiment at Fermilab. Supplemented by the parton distribution functions of the target nuclei, we obtain the cross section consistent with the experimental data for the $\pi^-$ Nucleus $\rightarrow {\mu^+\mu^-X}$ Drell-Yan process.