Nuclear matter effects in pion-induced Drell-Yan process at COMPASS

Cold nuclear matter effects such as parton energy loss and modifications of parton distribution functions in the DrellYan process in $\pi A$ and $pA$ collisions have been extensively studied during the last 30 years. Various theoretical models have been proposed to explain these effects, but a complete understanding is still lacking. COMPASS experiment studies nuclear effects in Drell-Yan through cross-section ratios using a 190 GeV $\pi^-$ beam scattering on ammonia and tungsten targets. The present understanding of these effects and experimental possibilities of the COMPASS detector in this context will be discussed.