Semiclassical approach to structure functions at small x Original Research Article

Inclusive and diffractive structure functions for electron-proton scattering are calculated in a semiclassical approach at large momentum transfer Q2 and small values of the scaling variable x. The basic process is the production of a quark-antiquark pair in the colour field of the proton. The structure functions are expressed in terms of Wilson lines along the classical trajectories of quark and antiquark passing through the colour field, and their covariant derivatives. Based on some rather general assumptions on properties of the colour field, inclusive and diffractive structure functions are evaluated in terms of four field dependent constants.