Initial condition for the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation at next-to-leading order

Abstract

We determine the initial condition of the Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution equation at next-to-leading order (NLO) accuracy using HERA deep inelastic scattering data. Posterior distributions characterizing the initial condition are extracted using Bayesian inference. The total cross section and charm quark production data from HERA are found to provide stringent constraints on the posterior. These distributions quantify the uncertainty in the initial condition and serve as necessary input for propagating uncertainties to all NLO calculations within the Color Glass Condensate framework.