# Structure function evolution at next-to-leading order and beyond

## 1 Introduction

One of the important objectives of studying structure functions in deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) is a precise determination of the QCD scale parameter $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ (i.e., the strong coupling $`\alpha _s`$) from their scaling violations. In this talk we briefly present results of two studies  aiming at an improved control and a reduction of the corresponding theoretical uncertainties.

## 2 Flavour-singlet evolution in NLO 

The evolution of structure functions is usually studied in terms of scale-dependent parton densities and coefficient functions. In this case the predictions of perturbative QCD are affected by two unphysical scales: the renormalization scale $`\mu _r`$ and the mass-factorization scale $`\mu _f`$. While the former is unavoidable, the latter can be eliminated by recasting the evolution equations in terms of observables . In the flavour-singlet sector, this procedure results in

$$\frac{d}{d\mathrm{ln}Q^2}(\begin{array}{c}F_2\\ F_B\end{array})=𝒫(\alpha _s(\mu _r),\frac{\mu _r^2}{Q^2})(\begin{array}{c}F_2\\ F_B\end{array})$$
(1)   
with $`F_B=dF_2/d\mathrm{ln}Q^2`$ or $`F_B=F_L`$. The kernels $`𝒫`$ are combinations of splitting functions and coefficient functions which become prohibitively complicated in Bjorken-$`x`$ space at NLO. Thus Eqs. (1) are most conveniently treated using modern complex Mellin-moment techniques .

We have performed leading-twist NLO fits to the $`F_2^p`$ data of SLAC, BCDMS, NMC, H1, and ZEUS. Statistical and systematic errors have been added quadratically, the normalization uncertainties have been taken into account separately. The singlet/non-singlet decomposition has been constrained by the $`F_2^n/F_2^p`$ data of NMC. The initial shapes $`F_{2,B}(x,Q_0^2)`$ are expressed via standard parametrizations for parton densities at $`\mu _f=Q_0`$.

In order to establish the kinematic region which can be safely used for fits of $`\alpha _s`$ in the leading-twist NLO framework, the lower $`Q^2`$-cut applied to the data has been varied between 3 and 30 GeV<sup>2</sup>. When the normalized momentum sum of the partons defining the $`F_{2,B}`$ initial distributions is left free, the fits with $`Q_{\mathrm{cut}}^2<10\text{ GeV}^2`$ prefer values significantly different from unity, see Fig. 1. Also shown in this figure is the $`Q_{\mathrm{cut}}^2`$-dependence of the fitted values for $`\alpha _s(M_Z)`$, now imposing the momentum sum rule. The results for $`Q_{\mathrm{cut}}^27\text{ GeV}^2`$ tend to lie above the $`Q_{\mathrm{cut}}^210\text{ GeV}^2`$ average of $`\alpha _s(M_Z)=0.114`$ (dashed line).

In Fig. 2 we display the renormalization scale dependence of the $`\alpha _s(M_Z)`$ central values for the safe choice $`Q_{\mathrm{cut}}^2=10\text{ GeV}^2`$. The conventional, but somewhat ad hoc, prescription of estimating the theoretical error by the variation due to $`0.25\mu _r^2/Q^24`$ results in

$$\alpha _s(M_Z)=0.114\pm 0.002_{\mathrm{exp}}\begin{array}{c}+\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}0.006}\\ \mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}0.004}\end{array}|_{\mathrm{scale}}.$$
(2)   
Other theoretical uncertainties are considerable smaller and can be neglected at this point. The uncertainty due to possible higher-twist contributions, for instance, can be estimated at about 1% via the target-mass effects included in the fits.

## 3 Non-singlet evolution in NNLO 

The theoretical error in Eq. (2) clearly calls for NNLO analyses. The necessary contributions to the $`\beta `$-function  and the coefficient functions  are known. However, only partial results are available for the 3-loop terms $`P^{(2)}(x)`$ in the splitting-function expansion ($`a_s\alpha _s/4\pi `$)

$$P=a_sP^{(0)}+a_s^2P^{(1)}+a_s^3P^{(2)}+\mathrm{}.$$
(3)   
For the non-singlet part of $`F_2`$ considered here (NS<sup>+</sup>), present information comprises the lowest five even-integer moments , the full $`N_f^2`$ piece , and the most singular small-$`x`$ term .

We have performed a systematic study of the constraints imposed on $`P_{\mathrm{NS}}^{(2)+}(x)`$ by these results. Four approximations spanning the current uncertainty range are shown in Fig. 3, together with their convolutions with a typical input shape.

$`P_{\mathrm{NS}}^{(2)+}(x)`$ is well determined at $`x0.15`$, with a total spread of about 15% at $`x0.3`$. At (non-asymptotically) small $`x`$ its behaviour is rather unconstrained despite the known leading $`x0`$ contribution. As the splitting functions enter scaling violations always via convolutions

$$(Pf)(x)=_x^1𝑑y/yP(x/y)f(y)$$
(4)   
with smooth initial distributions $`f(x)`$, the residual uncertainties are much reduced for observables over the full $`x`$-range. In the present case they prove to be negligible at $`x>0.02`$.

The net effect of the NNLO correction is finally illustrated in Fig. 4, where the scale-derivative of $`F_2^{\mathrm{NS}}`$ is shown for $`\mu _r=Q`$ and $`N_f=4`$, using an $`\alpha _s`$-value typical for the fixed-target region. The inclusion of this correction into fits is expected to lead to a slightly lower central value for $`\alpha _s`$ and a considerably reduced theoretical uncertainty.

## 4 Summary and outlook

We have analyzed present $`ep/\mu p`$ $`F_2`$-data in a factorization-scheme independent framework . We find that $`Q^2,W^2>10\text{ GeV}^2`$ is a safe region for leading-twist NLO fits of $`\alpha _s`$. Our central value is close to that of the standard pre-HERA analysis in , but lower than the recent result of  using a lower $`Q^2`$-cut of 2 GeV<sup>2</sup>. The irreducible renormalization-scale uncertainty turns out to be larger than expected from .

We have derived approximate $`x`$-space expressions for the 3-loop non-singlet splitting functions $`P_{\mathrm{NS}}^{(2)}`$, including error estimates . This approach is complementary to, but more flexible than, the integer-moment procedures pursued in . The remaining uncertainties of $`P_{\mathrm{NS}}^{(2)}`$ are small for the evolution at $`x>10^2`$, thus allowing for detailed NNLO analyses in this region. An extension to the singlet case is in preparation.