Resummation-scale uncertainties in PDF determinations

Abstract

We investigate the impact of resummation-scale variations on parton distribution function (PDF) determinations. These variations introduce an additional source of theoretical uncertainty related to the evolution of PDFs and strong coupling ${\alpha }_s$ that has never previously been accounted for in PDF fits. Using the open-source xFitter framework, we quantify this uncertainty in fits to HERA deep-inelastic scattering data and examine its implications for predictions of top-quark pair production at the LHC. We show that the resulting resummation-scale uncertainties have a sizable impact on LHC observables, highlighting the importance of including this source of uncertainty in precision QCD analyses.

14 pages, 7 figures