Rapidity dependence of saturation in inclusive HERA data with the rcBK equation

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how different terms in the rcBK equation contribute to describing HERA data, revealing unexpected behaviors in the saturation dynamics across rapidities.

Contribution

It introduces an alternative saturation scale based on the ratio of recombination to splitting terms in the rcBK equation.

Findings

The data are well described by the rcBK framework.

The behavior of the rcBK terms does not align with naive saturation expectations.

The new saturation scale offers a different perspective on saturation phenomena.

Abstract

The contribution of the different terms of the running-coupling Balistky-Kovchegov (rcBK) equation to the description of inclusive HERA data is discussed. Within this framework an alternative definition of the saturation scale is presented. The definition is based on the ratio of the term corresponding to the recombination of two dipoles to the term corresponding to a dipole splitting. A similar ratio is used to study the contribution of the recombination term to the evolution of inclusive HERA data with rapidity. It is found that, although the data are well described, the behaviour of the different terms of the rcBK equation for HERA kinematics is not what it is naively expected from saturation arguments.