Twist-2 relation and sum rule for tensor-polarized parton distribution functions of spin-1 hadrons

TL;DR

This paper derives twist-2 relations and sum rules for tensor-polarized parton distribution functions in spin-1 hadrons, extending the understanding of their structure and higher-twist effects.

Contribution

It introduces new twist-2 relations and sum rules for tensor-polarized distributions, including the functions $f_{1LL}$ and $f_{LT}$, and identifies four twist-3 multiparton distributions.

Findings

Existence of a twist-2 relation between $f_{LT}$ and $f_{1LL}$.

A sum rule for $f_{LT}$ assuming vanishing tensor-polarized antiquark distributions.

Identification of four twist-3 multiparton distribution functions for tensor-polarized spin-1 hadrons.

Abstract

Sum rules for structure functions and their twist-2 relations have important roles in constraining their magnitudes and $x$ dependencies and in studying higher-twist effects. The Wandzura-Wilczek (WW) relation and the Burkhardt-Cottingham (BC) sum rule are such examples for the polarized structure functions $g_1$ and $g_2$. Recently, new twist-3 and twist-4 parton distribution functions were proposed for spin-1 hadrons, so that it became possible to investigate spin-1 structure functions including higher-twist ones. We show in this work that an analogous twist-2 relation and a sum rule exist for the tensor-polarized parton distribution functions $f_{1LL}$ and $f_{LT}$, where $f_{1LL}$ is a twist-2 function and $f_{LT}$ is a twist-3 one. Namely, the twist-2 part of $f_{LT}$ is expressed by an integral of $f_{1LL}$ (or $b_1$) and the integral of the function $f_{2LT} = (2/3) f_{LT} -f_{1LL}$ over $x$ vanishes. If the parton-model sum rule for $f_{1LL}$ ($b_1$) is applied by assuming vanishing tensor-polarized antiquark distributions, another sum rule also exists for $f_{LT}$ itself. These relations should be valuable for studying tensor-polarized distribution functions of spin-1 hadrons and for separating twist-2 components from higher-twist terms, as the WW relation and BC sum rule have been used for investigating $x$ dependence and higher-twist effects in $g_2$. In deriving these relations, we indicate that four twist-3 multiparton distribution functions $F_{LT}$, $G_{LT}$, $H_{LL}^\perp$, and $H_{TT}$ exist for tensor-polarized spin-1 hadrons. These multiparton distribution functions are also interesting to probe multiparton correlations in spin-1 hadrons.