Precision QCD with the Electron-Ion Collider

TL;DR

The paper summarizes discussions from a program focused on advancing precision QCD research at the future Electron Ion Collider, covering theoretical, experimental, and computational topics.

Contribution

It consolidates recent progress and identifies key research areas for the Electron Ion Collider, including higher-order calculations, nuclear tomography, and AI applications.

Findings

Advances in higher-order perturbative QCD calculations.

Comparisons of phenomenological and lattice PDFs.

Identification of observables for saturated gluons.

Abstract

This document summarizes the discussions at the program "Precision QCD with the Electron Ion Collider", held from May to June 2025 at the Institute for Nuclear Theory (INT) at the University of Washington. The program was co-sponsored by the INT and by the Center for Frontiers in Nuclear Science (CFNS, Stony Brook University). Over its five-week duration it brought together about 70 theorists, experimentalists and computer scientists all interested in the physics program at the future Electron Ion Collider in preparation at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Key topics at the program were: higher-order perturbative-QCD calculations and techniques; nuclear structure and tomography; comparisons of phenomenological and lattice determinations of parton distribution functions; identification of signature observables for saturated gluons; assessment of the importance of AI techniques for EIC studies and detector development.