Pion and kaon fragmentation functions at next-to-next-to-leading order

We present a new determination of unpolarised charged pion and kaon fragmentation functions from a set of single-inclusive electron-positron annihilation and lepton-nucleon semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering data. The determination includes next-to-next-to-leading order QCD corrections to both processes, and is carried out in a framework that combines a neural-network parametrisation of fragmentation functions with a Monte Carlo representation of their uncertainties. We discuss the quality of the determination, in particular its dependence on higher order corrections. (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

We present a new determination method for the unpolarised charged pion and kaon fragmentation functions based on single-inclusive electron-positron annihilation and lepton-nucleon semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering data. The method includes next-to-next-to-leading order QCD corrections and combines a neural-network parametrisation of fragmentation functions with a Monte Carlo representation of their uncertainties. We discuss the quality of the determination and its dependence on higher order corrections.