Inclusive trident electroproduction as a test of parton model and bilocal algebra

Abstract

We analyze deep-inelastic trident production, e+p→e+μ⁺μ^-+anything, in the approprate scaling region, assuming the validity of the parton model and the bilocal algebra. It is shown that the measurement of the difference between the scaling inclusive trident cross section of the electron and that of the positron will allow the determination of a proton structure function V(x), which involves the cube of the parton charges, in unexplored kinematic regions. This structure function obeys and exact sum rule, independent of the momentum distribution of partons; the sum rule therefore holds for nuclear targets as well. Since V(x) is related to odd-charge-conjugation exchanges in the t channel, the Pomeranchukon and other C-even contributions are not present, so that V(x) should have a readily integrable quasielastic peak. In the light-cone approach the same difference of cross sections measures the symmetric function S_Q³(η), which cannot be obtained from electroproduction and neutrino-induced-production data. So far as scaling is concerned, the two approaches seem to give similar results.