Speaker
Description
We investigate the feasibility of a model-independent extraction of the proton structure functions $F_2$, $F_L$ and $xF_3$ at the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC). The method relies on measurements of the reduced cross section at multiple beam energy configurations, corresponding to different center-of-mass energies. We study the impact of datasets composed of various combinations of beam configurations that are expected to be achievable at the EIC. Using five nominal beam-energy configurations, we demonstrate that a simultaneous extraction of all three structure functions is possible. The precision is significantly improved by the inclusion of additional configurations. The contribution of $xF_3$ becomes significant at $Q^{2} \sim 100$ GeV$^{2}$ and high Bjorken-$x$. Assuming $xF_3 = 0$ in this kinematic regime results in a measurable bias in the extracted $F_L$, reflecting the intertwined dependence of the reduced cross section on these structure functions. These findings emphasize the importance of multi-energy datasets and of including $xF_3$ in the extraction of the proton structure functions.
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