Parton distribution functions (PDFs) are vitally important for high energy physics calculations. Vast amounts of experimental evidence have shown that scattering processes involving nuclei cannot...Show moreParton distribution functions (PDFs) are vitally important for high energy physics calculations. Vast amounts of experimental evidence have shown that scattering processes involving nuclei cannot be solved using the free-nucleon formalism of perturbative QCD and therefore, a separate empirical determination of the nuclear modification of PDFs is necessary. Because the shape and size of nuclear modification are theoretically unmotivated, the NNPDF collaboration uses a neural network to achieve a model-independent parametrisation. In this thesis, we include new Z boson production data from pPb collisions into the NNPDF framework and examine its impact on the quality of the fit. We will also discuss the phenomenological implications of prompt photon production data in pPb collisions.Show less
