Pions in proton structure and everywhere else

The pion cloud is important in nuclear physics and in a variety of low-energy hadronic phenomena. We argue that it is natural to expect it to also be important in lepton-proton deep inelastic scattering and DrellYan studies of proton structure. We compute the necessary consequences of the pion cloud in connection with the recent SeaQuest data. The effects are detailed by using the exact kinematics of the experiment. Good agreement with the measurements is obtained. Thus, the universality of pionic effects is understood.

Automated summary

The pion cloud has significant importance in nuclear physics and various low-energy hadronic phenomena. This study argues that it is also expected to play a crucial role in lepton-proton deep inelastic scattering and Drell-Yan studies of proton structure. By calculating the effects of the pion cloud using the exact kinematics of the recent SeaQuest experiment, it has been demonstrated that there is a good agreement with the measurements. Hence, the universality of pionic effects is better understood.