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 CT18 parton distribution functions


This page provides numerical table files for the computation of CT18 next-to-leading order (NLO) and next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) parton distribution functions.  They can be interpolated with the help of a standalone Fortran interface and demonstration program , as well as the tables with interpolated values of the QCD coupling alpha_s and PDFs. A simple C++ interface for the CTEQ-TEA PDFs with CTEQ6.6 or later can be found here.

Parametrizations of CT18 PDFs are also available from the LHAPDF library, version 6. For backward compatibility, we also provide CT18 grids in the LHAPDF5 format. Note that, in order to call all 59 CT18 error PDF sets with LHAPDF 5.9.X, you must recompile LHAPDF with an updated CT wrapper.

ATTENTION: The format of the PDF table files (with the extension .pds) and the Fortran interface were revised in 2012 to provide interpolation of the energy dependence of the QCD running coupling alpha_s using a table of alpha_s values stored inside the .pds file. The pre-2012 PDF table files are partly incompatible with the new format. They can be interpolated by the 2012 interface, but without computing alpha_s.

Available PDF sets

See the header of the Fortran interface for further explanations. 
PDF set Description and links to the table files Authors or main contact References Date Additional resources
CT18 NNLO *General-purpose NNLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
Plots of L2 sensitivities

Additional figures
CT18NF3
CT18NF4
CT18NF6
NNLO
CT18 NNLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18 NNLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18 NLO *General-purpose NLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al. arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Additional figures
CT18NF3
CT18NF4
CT18NF6
NLO
CT18 NLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18 NLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18Z NNLO *General-purpose NNLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Plots of L2 sensitivities

Additional figures
CT18Z NF3
CT18Z NF4
CT18Z NF6
NNLO
CT18Z NNLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ) , for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18Z NNLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18Z NLO *General-purpose NLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al. arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Additional figures
CT18ZNF3
CT18ZNF4
CT18ZNF6
NLO
CT18Z NLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18Z NLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18A NNLO *General-purpose NNLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Additional figures
CT18ANF3
CT18ANF4
CT18ANF6
NNLO
CT18A NNLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18A NNLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18A NLO *General-purpose NLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al. arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Additional figures
CT18ANF3
CT18ANF4
CT18ANF6
NLO
CT18 NLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18 NLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18X NNLO *General-purpose NNLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Additional figures
CT18XNF3
CT18XNF4
CT18XNF6
NNLOX
CT18X NNLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18X NNLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18X NLO *General-purpose NLO central set + 58 eigenvector sets ( LHAPDF6, LHAPDF5 )
*PDF sets with a varied strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z) in the ranges 0.116-0.120 and 0.110-0.124.
The recommended 90% C.L. uncertainty estimate is 0.116 - 0.120.
T.-J. Hou et al. arXiv:1912.10053
12/2019
Additional figures
CT18XNF3
CT18XNF4
CT18XNF6
NLO
CT18X NLO PDF sets in 3-flavor, 4-flavor and 6-flavor schemes ( LHAPDF6 ), for alternative choices of alpha_s(Q) in these schemes. These PDF sets are obtained by evolving the CT18X NLO parametrizations (obtained in the variable flavor scheme) from the initial scale Q0 to higher Q values using the 3-flavor, 4-flavor or 6-flavor DGLAP evolution. See README in the .zip file for further explanations. T.-J. Hou et al.
arXiv:1912.10053 12/2019
README
CT18qed (recommended) *General-purpose 1 central + 58 Hessian sets + 2*8 low-Q2 sets (LHAPDF6)
Hessian sets are defined as 90% C.L., and low-Q2 sets are symmetrized and scaled to 90% C.L.
Photon PDF are initialized at mu0=3 GeV (pQCD matching scale) with LUX formula and evolved to higher scales.
K. Xie et al. arXiv:2106.10299
06/2021

CT18qed1(.3)GeV *General-purpose 1 central + 58 Hessian sets + 2*8 low-Q2 sets (LHAPDF6)
Hessian sets are defined as 90% C.L., and low-Q2 sets are symmetrized and scaled to 90% C.L.

Photon PDF are initialized at mu0=1.3 GeV (CT18 PDF starting scale) with LUX formula and evolved to higher scales
K. Xie et al. arXiv:2106.10299
06/2021

CT18lux *General-purpose 1 central + 58 Hessian sets + 2*8 low-Q2 sets (LHAPDF6)
Hessian sets are defined as 90% C.L., and low-Q2 sets are symmetrized and scaled to 90% C.L.

Photon PDF are calculated with the LUX formalism at all scales.
K. Xie et al. arXiv:2106.10299
06/2021

CT18LO *General-purpose 1 central ( LHAPDF6 )
M. Yan et al. arXiv:2205.00137
05/2022
Additional Figures
CT18FC CT18FC NNLO fitted charm series; 4 model scenarios, each with 3 sets for Δχ2=0, 10, and 30; mem=0-2: CT18 BHPS3; mem=3-5: CT18 MBMC; mem=6-8: CT18 MCME; mem=9-11: CT18X BHPS3 (LHAPDF6) M. Guzzi, T. J. Hobbs, K. Xie, J. Huston, P. Nadolsky, C.-P. Yuan arXiv:2211.01387
11/2022
CT18qed neutron CT18qed neutron (total, elastic, inelastic)
CT18qed proton (updated) (total, elastic, inelastic)
K. Xie, B. Zhou, T.J. Hobbs arXiv:2305.10497
05/2023

Families of PDFs: CTEQ6-CTEQ6.6, CT10, CT14.
In the S-ACOT-MPS project, we collect all the subtracted PDFs designed for the heavy-flavor hadroproduction.
Web support:
Tie-Jiun Hou (tjhou at msu.edu)
Pavel Nadolsky (nadolsky at smu.edu)
Keping Xie (xiekeping at pitt.edu)
C.-P. Yuan (yuan at pa.msu.edu)

This website is partially supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Grants DE-SC0010129, DE-FG02-95ER40896 and by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grants PHY-1719914, PHY-2013791, PHY-1820760, PHY-1820818.