Deep inelastic scattering from polarized spin-$1/2$ hadrons at low $x$ from string theory

Abstract

We study polarized deep inelastic scattering of charged leptons from spin-$1/2$ hadrons at low values of the Bjorken parameter and large 't Hooft coupling in terms of the gauge/string theory duality. We calculate the structure functions from type IIB superstring theory scattering amplitudes. We discuss the role of the non-Abelian Chern-Simons term and the Pauli term from the five-dimensional $SU(4)$ gauged supergravity. Furthermore, the exponentially small-$x$ regime where Regge physics becomes important is analyzed in detail for the antisymmetric structure functions. In this case the holographic dual picture of the Pomeron exchange is realized by a Reggeized gauge field. We compare our results with experimental data of the proton antisymmetric structure function $g_1$, obtaining a very good level of agreement.

39 pages, 8 figures