Constructing a new mathematical inverse problem to solve a 50-year-old problem in high-energy physics
Date:
In this talk I introduce you to one of the central inference problems of high-energy physics: the extraction of the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton from experimental measurements of particle collisions. The proton is composed of quarks and gluons, and the PDFs describe how the probability of finding a specific quark or gluon in the proton depends on the energy and momentum scales of the scattering process. The PDFs have only ever been extracted from data by theoretically motivated parameter fits or by neutral network assisted fit optimization, to which we are going to construct a fitting-free mathematical alternative. Translating all the established physical theory prescriptions of the scattering processes and their associated experimental observables into the language of indirect sensing led me to construct a mathematical inverse problem of numerous coupled integral equations of different kinds that need to be solved simultaneously. I will also give an overview of my proposed brute force method to solve the problem numerically and discuss future outlook and potential for impact in high-energy physics.
Recording of the talk is available on Youtube on the: FAME Flagship channel.