Initial condition for the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation at next-to-leading order

TL;DR

This paper determines the initial condition for the NLO Balitsky-Kovchegov equation using HERA data, employing Bayesian inference to quantify uncertainties crucial for accurate predictions in the Color Glass Condensate framework.

Contribution

It introduces a method to extract the initial condition of the NLO BK equation from experimental data, providing quantified uncertainties for theoretical calculations.

Findings

HERA data tightly constrains the initial condition

Bayesian inference effectively quantifies uncertainty

Results improve NLO predictions in the Color Glass Condensate framework

Abstract

We determine the initial condition of the Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution equation at next-to-leading order (NLO) accuracy using HERA deep inelastic scattering data. Posterior distributions characterizing the initial condition are extracted using Bayesian inference. The total cross section and charm quark production data from HERA are found to provide stringent constraints on the posterior. These distributions quantify the uncertainty in the initial condition and serve as necessary input for propagating uncertainties to all NLO calculations within the Color Glass Condensate framework.