The Nonperturbative Regime in QCD Resummation for Gauge Boson Production at Hadron Colliders

Abstract

We study the nonperturbative functions in the Collins--Soper--Sterman resummation formalism by examing Drell--Yan data in both fixed target and collider experiments and then predict the transverse momentum distributions of the $W^\pm$ and $Z^0$ bosons at the Tevatron. Our results differ from that in the literature and agree better with published CDF data. Using statistical arguments, we find a $1\,$fb${}^{-1}$ luminosity at the Fermilab Tevatron should be able to provide useful constraints on the nonperturbative functions.