Next-to leading order analysis of target mass corrections to structure functions and asymmetries

TL;DR

This paper analyzes target mass corrections to structure functions and asymmetries at next-to-leading order, comparing different theoretical prescriptions and assessing their impact on various observables in deep inelastic scattering.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison of multiple TMC prescriptions at NLO and evaluates their effects on key scattering observables and asymmetries.

Findings

Different TMC prescriptions significantly affect structure function ratios.

Target mass corrections influence parity-violating asymmetries.

Higher order radiative and nuclear effects are quantitatively assessed.

Abstract

We perform a comprehensive analysis of target mass corrections (TMCs) to spin-averaged structure functions and asymmetries at next-to-leading order. Several different prescriptions for TMCs are considered, including the operator product expansion, and various approximations to it, collinear factorization, and xi-scaling. We assess the impact of each of these on a number of observables, such as the neutron to proton F_2 structure function ratio, and parity-violating electron scattering asymmetries for protons and deuterons which are sensitive to gamma-Z interference effects. The corrections from higher order radiative and nuclear effects on the parity-violating deuteron asymmetry are also quantified.