3-, 4-, and 5-flavor next-to-next-to-leading order parton distribution functions from deep-inelastic-scattering data and at hadron colliders

We determine the parton distribution functions (PDFs) in a next-to-next-to-leading order QCD analysis of the inclusive neutral-current deep-inelastic-scattering (DIS) world data combined with the neutrino-nucleon DIS di-muon data and the fixed-target Drell-Yan data. The PDF evolution is performed in the Nf=3 fixed-flavor scheme and supplementary sets of PDFs in the 4- and 5-flavor schemes are derived from the results in the 3-flavor scheme using matching conditions. The charm-quark DIS contribution is calculated in a general-mass variable-flavor-number (GMVFN) scheme interpolating between the zero-mass 4-flavor scheme at asymptotically large values of momentum transfer Q² and the 3-flavor scheme prescription of Buza-Matiounine-Smith-van Neerven (BMSN) at the value of Q²=mc². The results in the general-mass variable-flavor-number scheme are compared with those of the fixed-flavor scheme and other prescriptions used in global fits of PDFs. The strong coupling constant is measured at an accuracy of ≈1.5%. We obtain at next-to-next-to-leading order αₛ(MZ²)=0.1135±0.0014 in the fixed-flavor scheme and αₛ(MZ²)=0.1129±0.0014 applying the Buza-Matiounine-Smith-van Neerven prescription. The implications for important standard candle and hard scattering processes at hadron colliders are illustrated. Predictions for cross sections of W^±- and Z-boson, the top-quark pair, and Higgs-boson production at the Tevatron and the LHC based on the 5-flavor PDFs of the present analysis are provided.