Impact of QED Radiation on SMEFT Constraints in Deep Inelastic Scattering

Abstract

Deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) provides a powerful probe of physics beyond the Standard Model through precision measurements interpreted within the Standard Model Effective Field Theory (SMEFT). We study the impact of collision-induced QED radiation on SMEFT constraints using the joint QCD+QED factorization framework based on lepton distribution and fragmentation functions. QED radiation can substantially modify DIS cross sections and, in some kinematic regions, significantly alter the effective momentum transfer relevant for factorization. We find that while cross sections receive order-one corrections, longitudinal electron spin asymmetries are affected only at the few-percent level, making them significantly more robust observables for SMEFT studies. Benchmark projections for SoLID and the Electron-Ion Collider are provided to demonstrate the impact of QED radiation for future precision DIS analyses and the extraction of SMEFT constraints.