Precise Determination of Electroweak Parameters in Neutrino-Nucleon Scattering

TL;DR

This paper investigates how higher-twist nuclear shadowing effects impact the precise measurement of electroweak parameters, specifically $ ext{sin}^2 heta_W$, in neutrino-nucleon scattering, revealing potential corrections to previous deviations from the Standard Model.

Contribution

It highlights the significance of higher-twist effects in neutrino-nucleon scattering and their potential to alter the interpretation of electroweak parameter measurements.

Findings

Higher-twist nuclear shadowing effects can significantly affect $ ext{sin}^2 heta_W$ extraction.

These effects may account for the previously reported deviation from the Standard Model.

Careful data analysis is required to accurately model parton distribution functions.

Abstract

A systematic error in the extraction of $\sin^2 \theta_W$ from nuclear deep inelastic scattering of neutrinos and antineutrinos arises from higher-twist effects arising from nuclear shadowing. We explain that these effects cause a correction to the results of the recently reported significant deviation from the Standard Model that is potentially as large as the deviation claimed, and of a sign that cannot be determined without an extremely careful study of the data set used to model the input parton distribution functions.