Determining the Nonperturbative Collins-Soper Kernel From Lattice QCD

Abstract

At small transverse momentum $q_T$, transverse-momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDPDFs) arise as genuinely nonperturbative objects that describe Drell-Yan like processes in hadron collisions as well as semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering. TMDPDFs naturally depend on the hadron momentum, and the associated evolution is determined by the Collins-Soper equation. For $q_T\sim {\Lambda }_{\mathrm{QCD}}$ the corresponding evolution kernel (or anomalous dimension) is nonperturbative and must be determined as an independent ingredient in order to relate TMDPDFs at different scales. We propose a method to extract this kernel using lattice QCD and the Large-Momentum Effective Theory, where the physical TMD correlation involving light-like paths is approximated by a quasi TMDPDF, defined using equal-time correlation functions with a large-momentum hadron state. The kernel is determined from a ratio of quasi TMDPDFs extracted at different hadron momenta.

Comments: 9 pages, 2 figures; v2: extended the review of TMDPDF commonalities, version submitted to PRD; v3: minor changes, journal version