bachelor_thesis/latex/tex/pdf/pdf_basics.tex

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\section{Parton Density Functions}%
\label{sec:pdf_basics}
Parton Density Functions encode, restricting the considerations to
leading order, the probability to ``encounter'' a constituent parton
(quark or gluon) of a hadron with a certain momentum fraction \(x\) at
a certain factorization scale \(Q^2\). PDFs are normalized according
to~\eqref{eq:pdf-norm}, where the sum runs over all partons.
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:pdf-norm}
\sum_i\int_0^1x\cdot f_i\qty(x;Q^2) \dd{x} = 1
\end{equation}
In deep inelastic scattering \(Q^2\) is just the negative over the
momentum transfer \(-q^2\). In more complicated processes \(Q^2\) has
to be chosen in a way that reflects the ``energy resolution'' of the
process. If the perturbation series behind the process would be
expanded to the exact solution, the dependence on the factorization
scale vanishes. In leading order, one has to choose the scale in a
``physically meaningfull'' way, which reflects characteristics of the
process.
In the case of \(\qqgg\) the mean of the Mandelstam variables \(\hat{t}\)
and \(\hat{u}\), which is equal to \(\hat{s}/2\), can be used. This
choice is lorentz-invariant and reflects the s/u-channel nature of the
process.
The (differential) hadronic cross section for scattering of two
partons in equal hadrons is given in~\eqref{eq:pdf-xs}. Here \(i,j\) are
the partons participating in a scattering process with the cross
section \(\sigma_{ij}\). Usually this cross section depends on the
kinematics and thus the momentum fractions and the factorization
scale\footnote{More appropriately: The factorization scale depends on
the process. So \(\sigma\qty(Q^2)\) is just a symbol for that
relation.}.
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:pdf-xs}
\tilde{\sigma} = \int f_i\qty(x;Q^2) f_j\qty(x;Q^2) \sigma_{ij}\qty(x_1,
x_2, Q^2)\dd{x_1}\dd{x_2}
\end{equation}
Summing~\eqref{eq:pdf-xs} over all partons in the hadron gives
the total scattering cross section for the hadron.
PDFs can not be derived from first principles and have to be
determined experimentally for low \(Q^2\) and can be evolved to higher
\(Q^2\) through the \emph{DGLAP} equations~\cite{altarelli:1977af} at
different orders of perturbation theory.