Spin-dependent parton distributions and structure functions

Nuclear parton distributions and structure functions are determined in an effective chiral quark theory. We also discuss an extension of our model to fragmentation functions.     

Spin-dependent parton distributions in polarized deep inelastic lepton nucleon scattering

We analyze the recently measured first moment Г ^p (Q ²) of the structure functiong ₁ ^p (x,Q ²) obtained in deep inelastic scattering of polarized electrons from polarized protons. It is shown that the recent experimental result Г ^p (〈Q ²〉?10 GeV²)? 0.113 implies a polarized strange quark sea whose total polarization Δs(μ²)??0.22 is comparable to Δμ(μ²)?0.74 and Δd(μ²)??0.50 already at a typically hadronic scale μ=0(1 GeV). Most remarkably, the total polarization due to quark distributions Δμ(μ²)+Δd(μ²)+Δs(μ²) practically vanishes which implies that the spin of the proton is carried by the gluons, ΔG(μ²), and/or the angular momentum of the partons. This surprising conjecture can be experimentally tested with heavy quark production in longitudinally polarized lepton-nucleon scattering. In particular the (real) photon-gluon fusion process γg→Q \(\bar Q\) provides a rather unique measure of ΔG(x,Q ²).     

Generalized parton distributions from nucleon form factor data

We present a simple empirical parameterization of the x- and t-dependence of generalized parton distributions at zero skewness, using forward parton distributions as input. A fit to experimental data for the Dirac, Pauli and axial form factors of the nucleon allows us to discuss quantitatively the interplay between longitudinal and transverse partonic degrees of freedom in the nucleon (nucleon tomography). In particular we obtain the transverse distribution of valence quarks at given momentum fraction x. We calculate various moments of the distributions, including the form factors that appear in the handbag approximation to wide-angle Compton scattering. This allows us to estimate the minimal momentum transfer required for reliable predictions in that approach to be around . We also evaluate the valence contributions to the energy-momentum form factors entering Jis sum rule.Received: 16 September 2004, Revised: 15 October 2004, Published online: 17 December 2004     

Transverse structure of nucleon parton distributions from lattice QCD

This work presents the first calculation in lattice QCD of three moments of spin-averaged and spin-polarized generalized parton distributions in the proton. It is shown that the slope of the associated generalized form factors decreases significantly as the moment increases, indicating that the transverse size of the light-cone quark distribution decreases as the momentum fraction of the struck parton increases.     

A study of the polarized (next-to-leading order) parton distributions from quark models

We perform a next-to-leading order study of polarized parton distributions as predicted by quark models. The approach allows a detailed investigation of the anomalous contributions as well as angular momentum effects of the partons. Higher-order effects are large in the region 0.01 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.2, where also the introduction of gluon polarization at the hadronic scale plays a crucial role.     

Factorization scheme and parton distributions in the polarized virtual photon target

We investigate spin-dependent parton distributions in the polarized virtual photon target in perturbative QCD up to the next-to-leading order (NLO). In the case , where is the mass squared of the probe (target) photon, the parton distributions can be predicted completely up to NLO, but they are factorization-scheme dependent. We analyze the parton distributions in six different factorization schemes and discuss their scheme dependence. We study, in particular, the QCD and QED axial anomaly effects on the first moments of the parton distributions to see the interplay between the axial anomalies and factorization schemes. We also show that the factorization-scheme dependence is characterized by the large-x behaviors of the quark distributions in the virtual photon. The gluon distribution is predicted to be the same up to NLO among the six factorization schemes examined. In particular, the first moment of the gluon distribution is found to be factorization-scheme independent up to NLO. Received: 24 January 2001 / Published online: 18 May 2001     

Diffractive parton distributions from perturbative QCD

The asymptotic collinear factorisation theorem, which holds for diffractive deep-inelastic scattering, has important modifications in the sub-asymptotic HERA regime. We use perturbative QCD to quantify these modifications. The diffractive parton distributions are shown to satisfy an inhomogeneous evolution equation. We emphasise that it is necessary to include both the gluonic and sea-quark t-channel components of the perturbative pomeron. The corresponding pomeron-to-parton splitting functions are derived in the appendix.Received: 20 April 2005, Published online: 27 July 2005     

Generalized parton distributions from lattice QCD

We perform a quenched lattice calculation of the first moment of twist-two generalized parton distribution functions of the proton, and assess the total quark (spin and orbital angular momentum) contribution to the spin of the proton.     

Generalized parton distributions from meson leptoproduction

Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) extracted from exclusive meson leptoproduction within the handbag approach are briefly reviewed. Only the GPD E is discussed in some detail. Applications of these GPDs to virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) and to Ji’s sum rule are also presented.     

Drawing insights from pion parton distributions

A symmetry-preserving continuum approach to the two valence-body bound-state problem is used to calculate the valence,glue and sea distributions within the pion;unifying them with,inter alia,electromagnetic pion elastic and transition form factors.The analysis reveals the following momentum fractions at the scale ζ2:=2GeV:〈xvalence〉=0.48(3),〈xglue〉=0.41(2),〈xsea〉=0.11(2);and despite hardening induced by the emergent phenomenon of dynamical chiral symmetry breaking,the valence-quark distribution function,q^π(x),exhibits the x≈1 behaviour predicted by quantum chromodynamics(QCD).After evolution to ζ=5.2 GeV,the prediction for q^π(x)matches that obtained using lattice-regularised QCD.This confluence should both stimulate improved analyses of existing data and aid in planning efforts to obtain new data on the pion distribution functions.     

Pionic parton distributions

The gluon and sea distributions of the pion are uniquely determined by the requirement of avalence-like structure of the input parton distributions at some low resolution scale. These (dynamical) results are obtained with practically no free parameters, just using the experimentally determined pionic valence distribution combined with the constraints for the pionic gluon distribution provided by direct-γ data. Simple parametrizations of the resulting parton distributions are presented in the range 10^?5?x<1 and 0.3?Q ²?10⁸ GeV² as obtained from the leading-and higher-order evolution equations.     

Generalized parton distributions

We discuss how generalized parton distributions (GPDs) enter in a variety of hard exclusive processes such as deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) and hard meson electroproduction reactions on the nucleon. We show some key observables which are sensitive to the various hadron structure aspects of the GPDs, and discuss their experimental status.Received: 30 September 2002, Published online: 22 October 2003PACS: 13.60.Fz Elastic and Compton scattering - 13.60.Le Meson production - 12.38.Bx Perturbative calculations     

Generalized parton distributions

An introductory review of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) is given.Received: 1 November 2002, Published online: 15 July 2003PACS: 13.40.Gp Electromagnetic form factors - 13.60.Fz Elastic and Compton scattering - 13.60.Hb Total and inclusive cross-sections (including deep-inelastic processes)     

Global QCD analysis of parton structure of the nucleon: CTEQ5 parton distributions

An up-to-date global QCD analysis of high energy lepton-hadron and hadron-hadron interactions is performed to better determine the gluon and quark parton distributions in the nucleon. Improved experimental data on inclusive jet production, in conjunction with precise deep inelastic scattering data, place good constraints on the gluon over a wide range of x; while new data on asymmetries in Drell-Yan processes contribute to better determine the d/u ratio. Comparisons with results of other recent global analyses are made, and the differences are described. Open issues and the general problem of determining the uncertainties of parton distributions are discussed. Received: 7 April 1999 / Published online: 21 December 1999