Limitations of small x resummation methods from F2data Original Research Article

We discuss several methods of calculating the DIS structure functions F2(x,Q2) based on BFKL-type small x resummations. Taking into account new HERA data ranging down to small xand low Q2, the pure leading order BFKL-based approach is excluded. Other methods based on high energy factorization are closer to conventional renormalization group equations. Despite several difficulties and ambiguities in combining the renormalization group equations with small x resummed terms, we find that a fit to the current data is hardly feasible, since the data in the low Q2 region are not as steep as the BFKL formalism predicts. Thus we conclude that deviations from the (successful) renormalization group approach towards summing up logarithms in 1x are disfavoured by experiment.