title: Scaling properties of inclusive W[Formula: see text] production at hadron colliders.
abstract: We consider the hadroproduction of W gauge bosons in their leptonic decay mode. Starting from the leading-order expressions, we show that by defining a suitable scaling variable the centre-of-mass dependence of the cross sections at the LHC energies can be essentially described by a simple power law. The scaling exponent is directly linked to the small-xbehaviour of parton distribution functions (PDF) which, at the high virtualities involved in W production, is largely dictated by QCD evolution equations. This entails a particularly simple scaling law for the lepton charge asymmetry and also predicts that measurements in different collision systems (p-p, p-[Formula: see text], p-Pb Pb-Pb) are straightforwardly related. The expectations are compared with the existing data and a very good overall agreement is observed. It is shown that the PDF uncertainty in certain cross-section ratios between nearby centre-of-mass energies can be significantly reduced by taking the ratios at fixed value of the scaling variable instead of fixed rapidity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, École polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, Université Paris-Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arleo
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, École polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, Université Paris-Saclay, 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: Émilien
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Chapon
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, 40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.|Helsinki Institute of Physics, P.O. Box 64, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.|Departamento de Física de Partículas and IGFAE, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Galicia Spain.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paukkunen