The role of transverse momentum on the nuclear valence and sea quark distribution functions

Abstract

AbstractWe investigate the transverse momentum dependence of valence and sea quark distribution functions of light asymmetric nuclei ($$^{3}He$$3He and $$^{7}Li$$7Li). To this end, we first calculate the valence and sea distributions of these nuclei applying a parametrization method in which the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of nucleus are related to those of free nucleon via a weight function that contains the nuclear modifications. Then we obtain the unpolarized transverse momentum dependent (TMD) PDFs of the nucleus using the covariant parton model (CPM) approach. We also compute the valence and sea quark distributions ratios of $$^{3}He$$3He and $$^{7}Li$$7Li to those of deuteron and present the results with respect to x (Bjorken variable) at fixed values of transverse momentum. It is found that these ratios shift to the larger values of x by increasing the transverse momentum value as expected and they are not transverse momentum dependent in large x region.