A New Evaluation of Polarized Parton Densities in the Nucleon

We review the present status of polarized structure functions measured in deep-inelastic scattering. We discuss the x and Q^2 dependence of the structure function g_1, and how it can be used to test perturbative QCD at next-to-leading order and beyond. We summarize the current knowledge of polarized parton distributions, in particular the determination of the first moment of the quark and gluon distributions and the axial charge of the nucleon. We critically examine what futu...

The results of our new QCD analysis of helicity parton distributions of the nucleon at full next-to-leading order (NLO) accuracy in the fixed-flavor number scheme will be presented. Performing a combined QCD fit on the global sets of latest inclusive and the semi-inclusive polarized deep inelastic scattering data, we are able to extract new polarized parton distribution functions (PPDFs) at the input scale $Q_{0}^2=1$ GeV$^2$. Particulary, we have calculated PPDFs considering...

We recall how parton distributions are constructed in a statistical physical picture of the nucleon. The chiral properties of QCD lead to strong relations between quarks and antiquarks distributions and the importance of the Pauli exclusion principle is also emphasized. A global next-to-leading order QCD analysis of unpolarized and polarized deep-inelastic scattering data allows to determine a small number of free parameters. Some predictions are compared to recent experiment...

The results of a recent next-to-leading order QCD analysis of the world data on polarized deep inelastic scattering are reported. New parameterizations are derived for the quark and gluon distributions and the value of $\alpha_s(M_z^2)$ is determined. We obtain $\alpha_s^{\rm NLO}(M_Z^2)= 0.1132~~\begin{array}{l} + 0.0056 \\ -0.0095 \end{array}$. Potential higher twist contributions to the structure function $g_1(x,Q^2)$ are considered.

A next-to-leading order QCD analysis of spin asymmetries and structure functions in polarized deep inelastic lepton nucleon scattering is presented within the framework of the radiative parton model. A consistent NLO formulation of the $Q^2$-evolution of polarized parton distributions yields two sets of plausible NLO spin dependent parton distributions in the conventional $\overline{\rm{MS}}$ factorization scheme. They respect the fundamental positivity constraints down to th...

A comprehensive analysis of deep inelastic scattering of polarized charged leptons on polarized nucleons is presented; weak interaction contributions, both in neutral and charged current processes, are taken into account and the parity violating polarized nucleon structure functions are studied. Possible ways of their measurements and their interpretations in the parton model are discussed.

A leading order QCD analysis of spin asymmetries in polarized deep inelastic lepton nucleon scattering is presented within the framework of the radiative parton model. Two resulting sets of plausible leading order spin dependent parton distributions are presented, respecting the fundamental positivity constraints down to the low resolution scale $Q^2=\mu_{LO}^2=0.23$ GeV$^2$. The $Q^2$ dependence of the spin asymmetries $A_1^{p,n,d}(x,Q^2)$ is investigated in the range $1 \le...

We present a next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) global QCD analysis of the proton's helicity parton distribution functions (PDFs), the first of its kind. To obtain the distributions, we use data for longitudinal spin asymmetries in inclusive and semi-inclusive lepton-nucleon scattering as well as in weak-boson and hadron or jet production in proton-proton scattering. We analyze the data using QCD perturbation theory at NNLO accuracy, employing approximations provided by the...

We review the current status of Parton Distribution Function (PDF) determinations for unpolarized and longitudinally polarized protons and for unpolarized nuclei, which are probed by high-energy hadronic scattering in perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). We present the established theoretical framework, the experimental information, and the methodological aspects inherent to any modern PDF extraction. Furthermore, we summarize the present knowledge of PDFs and discuss t...

We present MAPPDFpol1.0, a new determination of the helicity-dependent parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton from a set of longitudinally polarised inclusive and semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering data. The determination includes, for the first time, next-to-next-to-leading order QCD corrections to both processes, and is carried out in a framework that combines a neural-network parametrisation of PDFs with a Monte Carlo representation of their uncertainties...