The partonic structure of the nucleon from generalized transverse momentum-dependent parton distributions

TL;DR

This paper develops a unified framework using light-front quark models to calculate generalized transverse momentum-dependent parton distributions (GTMDs), linking various distributions and providing insights into the nucleon's internal structure and quark orbital angular momentum.

Contribution

It introduces a formalism for calculating GTMDs in light-front quark models, connecting different distributions and exploring their relation to quark orbital angular momentum.

Findings

GTMDs can be derived from the quark-quark correlator in light-front models.

Distributions in impact-parameter space are related to Wigner functions.

Results provide multidimensional images of quark distributions in phase space.

Abstract

We discuss the general formalism for the calculation in light-front quark models of the fully unintegrated, off-diagonal quark-quark correlator of the nucleon, parametrized in terms of generalized transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (GTMDs). By taking specific limits or projections, these GTMDs yield various transverse-momentum dependent and generalized parton distributions, thus providing a unified framework to simultaneously model different observables. The corresponding distributions in impact-parameter space are the Wigner functions which provide multidimensional images of the quark distributions in phase space. We present results within a light-front constituent quark model, discussing some of the complementary aspects encoded in the different distributions and the relation to the quark orbital angular momentum of the proton.