Low Energy Compton Scattering and Nucleon Structure

Abstract

The low energy virtual Compton scattering process $eN\to e^{\prime }N\gamma$ offers a new and potentially high resolution window on nucleon sturcture via measurement of so-called generalized polarizabilities (GPs). We present calculations of GPs within heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory and discuss present experimental efforts.

Talk given at Workshop on "Physics of Mesons, Baryons and Nuclei," Cracow, May 1998, in celebration of 60th birthday of Prof. Josef Speth