R-Current DIS on a Shock Wave: Beyond the Eikonal Approximation

TL;DR

This paper calculates deep inelastic scattering (DIS) structure functions at strong coupling using AdS/CFT, extending previous models by including non-eikonal corrections that are significant at small Bjorken-x, revealing two key momentum scales.

Contribution

It advances the understanding of DIS at strong coupling by going beyond the eikonal approximation and identifying two relevant momentum scales in the process.

Findings

Non-eikonal corrections are significant at small-x.

DIS structure functions involve two momentum scales: Q_1 and Q_2.

Results align qualitatively with previous Wilson loop calculations.

Abstract

We find the DIS structure functions at strong coupling by calculating R-current correlators on a finite-size shock wave using AdS/CFT correspondence. We improve on the existing results in the literature by going beyond the eikonal approximation for the two lowest orders in graviton exchanges. We argue that since the eikonal approximation at strong coupling resums integer powers of 1/x (with x the Bjorken-x variable), the non-eikonal corrections bringing in positive integer powers of x can not be neglected in the small-x limit, as the non-eikonal order-x correction to the (n+1)st term in the eikonal series is of the same order in x as the nth eikonal term in that series. We demonstrate that, in qualitative agreement with the earlier DIS analysis based on calculation of the expectation value of the Wilson loop in the shock wave background using AdS/CFT, after inclusion of non-eikonal corrections DIS structure functions are described by two momentum scales: Q_1^2 ~ \Lambda^2 \, A^{1/3}/x and Q_2^2 ~ \Lambda^2 \, A^{2/3}, where \Lambda is the typical transverse momentum in the shock wave and A is the atomic number if the shock wave represents a nucleus. We discuss possible physical meanings of the scales Q_1 and Q_2.