Accessing the Pion 3D Structure at US and China Electron-Ion Colliders

We present the first systematic feasibility study of accessing generalized parton distributions of the pion at an electron-ion collider through deeply virtual Compton scattering. Relying on state-of-the-art models for pion GPDs, we show that quarks and gluons interfere destructively, modulating the expected event rate and maximizing it when parton content is generated via radiation from valence dressed quarks. Moreover, gluons are found to induce a sign inversion for the beam-spin asymmetry in every model studied, being a clear signal for pinning down the regime of gluon superiority.

Automated summary

This study presents the first systematic feasibility analysis of accessing the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the pion at an electron-ion collider using deeply virtual Compton scattering. The interference between quarks and gluons is found to be destructive, leading to modulation of the expected event rate. The event rate is maximized when the parton content is generated through radiation from valence dressed quarks. Furthermore, gluons are observed to induce a sign inversion for the beam-spin asymmetry, providing a clear signal for identifying the regime of gluon dominance.