Heavy-hadron production based on $k_t$-factorization with scale-dependent fragmentation functions

TL;DR

This paper investigates heavy-hadron production using $k_t$-factorization with scale-dependent fragmentation functions, enhancing data description at small transverse momenta and comparing various factorization schemes.

Contribution

It implements $k_t$-factorization with scale-dependent fragmentation functions within a variable-flavor-number scheme for comprehensive heavy-hadron production analysis.

Findings

Improved description of data at small transverse momenta.

Effective implementation of $k_t$-factorization with scale-dependent fragmentation.

Comparison of different factorization schemes.

Abstract

We present a comprehensive study of heavy-hadron production, including $D$ and $B$ mesons, heavy baryons, and the $B_c$ meson. Our calculations are based on the $k_t$-factorization and scale-dependent fragmentation functions, completing the program of implementing this formalism within a variable-flavor-number scheme, as initiated in Ref. Phys.Rev.D 104 (2021) 9. Special emphasis is placed on the gluon-to-heavy-hadron contribution, which improves the description of data at small transverse momenta. Finally, we explore and compare different factorization schemes. We achieve the non-trivial task of providing a reasonable description of all the data considered in this study with a factorization scheme fixed once and for all.