Parton Fragmentation Functions

Abstract

This chapter provides a pedagogical and comprehensive introduction to parton fragmentation functions (FFs), the essential non-perturbative quantities in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) that describe the universal process of hadronization, the transition of quarks and gluons into observable hadrons. Formally defined as gauge-invariant matrix elements, the determination of FFs is achieved through global QCD analyses that synthesize world data from three primary processes: electron-positron annihilation, semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering, and proton-proton collisions. This chapter covers the theoretical foundations of FFs, including their operator definitions and properties, the experimental probes used to constrain them, and the methodologies of modern global analyses. The discussion is extended to more advanced topics, including dihadron FFs, the three-dimensional picture of hadronization provided by spin- and transverse-momentum-dependent FFs, and the modification of fragmentation in a nuclear medium, which is key to probe their fundamental properties.