Nuclear structure functions at small x from inelastic shadowing and diffraction

Nuclear structure functions at small x and small or moderate Q(2) are studied using the relation with diffraction on nucleons which arises from Gribov's reggeon calculus. A reasonable description of the experimental data is obtained with no fitted parameters. A comparison with other models and predictions for future lepton-ion colliders are provided. Consequences for the reduction of multiplicities in nucleus-nucleus collisions at energies of RHIC and LHC are examined.