title: NLO+NLL squark and gluino production cross sections with threshold-improved parton distributions.
abstract: We present updated predictions for the cross sections for pair production of squarks and gluinos at the LHC Run II. First of all, we update the calculations based on NLO+NLL partonic cross sections by using the NNPDF3.0NLO global analysis. This study includes a full characterization of theoretical uncertainties from higher orders, PDFs and the strong coupling. Then we explore the implications for this calculation of the recent NNPDF3.0 PDFs with NLO+NLL threshold resummation. We find that the shift in the results induced by the threshold-improved PDFs is within the total theory uncertainty band of the calculation based on NLO PDFs. However, we also observe that the central values of the NLO+NLL cross sections are modified both in a qualitative and a quantitative way, illustrating the relevance and impact of using threshold-improved PDFs together with resummed partonic cross sections. The updated NLO+NLL cross sections based on NNPDF3.0NLO are publicly available in the NLL-fast format, and should be an important ingredient for the interpretation of the searches for supersymmetric particles at Run II.
authors.affiliation: Theoretical High Energy Physics, IMAPP, Faculty of Science, Radboud University Nijmegen, Mailbox 79, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Beenakker
authors.affiliation: Institute for Theoretical Physics, WWU Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borschensky
authors.affiliation: Institute for Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Theoretical Physics, WWU Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kulesza
authors.affiliation: ITFA, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1018 XE Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; ITF, Utrecht University, Leuvenlaan 4, 3584 CE Utrecht, The Netherlands ; Nikhef Theory Group, Science Park 105, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laenen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260-1500 USA.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marzani
authors.affiliation: Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford, 1 Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3NP UK.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rojo