Theory data files

In the nnpdf framework, Fast Kernel tables (FK tables for short) are used to provide the information required to compute perturbative QCD cross sections in a compact fashion. With the FK method a typical hadronic observable data point \(\mathcal{O}\), is computed as,

\(\mathcal{O}_d= \sum_{\alpha,\beta}^{N_x}\sum_{i,j}^{N_{\mathrm{pdf}}} \sigma^{(d)}_{\alpha\beta i j}N_i^0(x_\alpha)N_j^0(x_\beta)\).

where \(\sigma_{\alpha\beta i j}^{(d)}\), the FK table, is a five index object with two indices in flavour (\(i\), \(j\)), two indices in \(x\) (\(\alpha\), \(\beta\)) and a data point index \(d\). \(N^0_i({x_\alpha})\) is the \(i^{\mathrm{th}}\) initial scale PDF in the evolution basis at \(x\)-grid point \(x=x_\alpha\). Each FK table has an internally specified \(x\)-grid upon which the PDFs are interpolated. The full 14-PDF evolution basis used in the FK tables is given by:

\(\left\{ \gamma, \Sigma,g,V,V3,V8,V15,V24,V35,T3,T8,T15,T24,T35\right\}\).

Additional information may be introduced via correction factors known internally as \(C\)-factors. These consist of data point by data point multiplicative corrections to the final result of the FK convolution \(\mathcal{O}\). These are provided by CFACTOR files, typical applications being the application of NNLO and electroweak corrections. For processes which depend non-linearly upon PDFs, such as cross-section ratios or asymmetries, multiple FK tables may be required for one observable. In this case information is provided in the form of operations defined in the commondata file.

FK file format

The FK tables in NNPDF are pineappl grids convoluted with an EKO which in turns generates a new pineappl grid collapsed on couplings, scale and orders to speed up the calculation.

More information about the format of these files can be found in the pineappl docs.

CFACTOR file format

Additional multiplicative factors to be applied to the output of the FK convolution may be introduced by the use of CFACTOR files. These files have a very simple format. They begin with a header providing a description of the \(C\)-factor information stored in the file. This segment is initialised and terminated by a line beginning with a star (*) character and consists of six mandatory fields:

  • SetName - The Dataset name.

  • Author - The author of the CFACTOR file.

  • Date - The date of authorship.

  • CodesUsed - The code or codes used in generating the \(C\)-factors.

  • TheoryInput - Theory input parameters used in the \(C\)-factors (e.g \(\alpha_S\), scales).

  • PDFset - The PDF set used in the \(C\)-factors.

These fields are formatted as

FieldName: FieldEntry

and may be accompanied by any additional information, within the star delineated header region. Consider the following as a complete example of the header,

***************************************
SetName: D0ZRAP
Author: John Doe john.doe@cern.ch
Date: 2014
CodesUsed: MCFM 15.01
TheoryInput: as 0.118, central scale 91.2 GeV
PDFset: NNPDF30_as_0118_nnlo
Warnings: None
Additional Information here
***************************************

The remainder of the file consists of the \(C\)-factors themselves, and the error upon the \(C\)-factors. Each line is now the \(C\)-factor for each data point, with the whitespace separated uncertainty. For example, for Dataset with five points, the data section of a CFACTOR file may be:

1.1 0.1
1.2 0.12
1.3 0.13
1.4 0.14
1.5 0.15

where the \(i^{\text{th}}\) line corresponds to the \(C\)-factor to be applied to the FK prediction for the \((i-1)^{\text{th}}\) data point. The first column denotes the value of the \(C\)-factor and the second column denotes the uncertainty upon it (in absolute terms, not as a percentage or otherwise relative to the \(C\)-factor). Note that at this moment the uncertainty is not used during the fit. For a complete example of a CFACTOR file, please see Example: CFACTOR file format.

FK Operations

Some Datasets cover observables that depend non-linearly upon the input PDFs. For example, the NMCPD Dataset is a measurement of the ratio of deuteron to proton structure functions. In the nnpdf code such sets are denoted Compound Datasets. In these cases, a prescription must be given for how the results from FK convolutions, as in this equation, should be combined.

The information on the opoeration which compounds the FK tables is provided in the metadata of the observables. The following operations are currently implemented:

Operation \((N_{\text{FK}})\)

Code

Output Observable

Null Operation(1)

NULL

\(\mathcal{O}_d = \mathcal{O}_d^{(1)}\)

Sum (2)

ADD

\(\mathcal{O}_d = \mathcal{O}^{(1)}_d + \mathcal{O}^{(2)}_d\)

Sum (10)

SMT

\(\mathcal{O}_d = \sum_{i=1}^{10}\mathcal{O}^{(i)}_d\)

Normalised Sum (4)

SMN

\(\mathcal{O}_d = (\mathcal{O}^{(1)}_d + \mathcal{O}^{(2)}_d)/(\mathcal{O}^{(3)}_d + \mathcal{O}^{(4)}_d)\)

Asymmetry (2)

ASY

\(\mathcal{O}_d = (\mathcal{O}^{(1)}_d - \mathcal{O}^{(2)}_d)/(\mathcal{O}^{(1)}_d + \mathcal{O}^{(2)}_d)\)

Combination (20)

COM

\(\mathcal{O}_d = \sum_{i=1}^{10}\mathcal{O}^{(i)}_d/\sum_{i=11}^{20}\mathcal{O}^{(i)}_d\)

Ratio (2)

RATIO

\(\mathcal{O}_d = \mathcal{O}^{(1)}_d / \mathcal{O}^{(2)}_d\)

Here \(N_{\text{FK}}\) refers to the number of tables required for each compound operation. \(\mathcal{O}_d\) is final observable prediction for the \(d^{\text{th}}\) point in the Dataset. \(\mathcal{O}_d^{(i)}\) refers to the observable prediction for the \(d^{\text{th}}\) point arising from the \(i^{\text{th}}\) FK table calculation. Note that here the ordering in \(i\) is important.

The information about the composition is, as mentioned above, given in the theory entry of the datasets’ metadata file. For instance:

theory:
FK_tables:
- - FK_TABLE_BIN_1
- FK_TABLE_BIN_2
- - FK_TABLE_NORM
operation: “ratio”

In the above example, the entries FK_TABLE_BIN_1 and FK_TABLE_BIN_2 will be concatenated. The resulting concatenated table will then be divide (see above) by the FK_TABLE_NORM. The ordering of the list is important, and must match the above table. For example, the observables \(\mathcal{O}^{(i)}\) arise from the computation with the \(i^{\text{th}}\) element of this list. The final line specified the operation to be performed upon the list of tables, and must take the form

operation: [CODE]