FIZIKA B 8 (1999) 2, 207-228

THE EXPERIMENTAL CHALLENGE OF VIRTUAL COMPTON SCATTERING ABOVE 8 GeV

P. Y. BERTIN^a, Y. ROBLIN^a and C. E. HYDE-WRIGHT^b

^aUniversité Blaise Pascal/IN2P3, Clermont-Ferrand, France

^bOld Dominion University, Norfolk VA, U.S.A.

Received 17 March 1999;  Accepted 14 June 1999

We discuss the experimental issues confronting measurements of the virtual Compton scattering (VCS) reaction ep®epg with electron beam energies 6 - 30 GeV. We specifically address the kinematics of deeply virtual Compton scattering (deep inelastic scattering, with coincident detection of the exclusive real photon nearly parallel to the virtual photon direction) and large transverse momentum VCS (high energy VCS of arbitrary Q², and the recoil proton emitted with high momentum transverse to the virtual photon direction). We discuss the experimental equipment necessary for these measurements. For the deeply virtual Compton scattering, we emphasize the importance of the Bethe-Heitler - Compton interference terms that can be measured with the electron-positron (beam charge) asymmetry, and the electron beam helicity asymmetry.

PACS numbers: 13.60.Fz
UDC 539.126

Keywords: deeply virtual Compton scattering, Bethe-Heitler - Compton interference terms, electron-positron (beam charge) asymmetry, electron-beam helicity asymmetry

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