$\gamma Z$-exchange contribution in elastic $ep$ scattering by perturbative QCD

Abstract

In this study, we calculate the $\gamma Z$-exchange contribution to elastic $ep$ scattering at large momentum transfer within perturbative QCD. We present analytical expressions for the $\gamma Z$-exchange contributions to the amplitudes. We also estimate the asymptotic behaviors of the amplitude contributions and of the physical quantity $A_{\text{PV}}$ at high momentum transfer. These asymptotic behaviors determine the subtraction order in the dispersion relations (DRs) satisfied by the amplitudes. \textcolor{black}{At high $Q^2$ beyond the forward limit, our pQCD analysis shows that this subtraction order is fixed by the high-$\nu$ behavior of the amplitude coefficients $c_i^{\gamma Z,\text{PV}}$, and that $c_{3,A}^{\gamma Z,\text{PV}}$ requires a once-subtracted DR.} Within the present pQCD framework and the adopted proton distribution amplitudes, these high-energy results also provide nontrivial constraints on low-energy DR assumptions.