A determination of FL at xmin with HERA data

Abstract: It is well known that there are persistent statistical tensions with the standard model in the low Q2 HERA deep inelastic scattering neutral current data characterized by a turn-over of F2(x, Q2) at low x and low Q2. One important experimental signature that sheds light on this low Q2 region is the determination of the longitudinal structure function FL(x, Q2). This paper describes a novel method to determine FL based on an extrapolation of the reduced NC cross section at fixed s and Q to the minimum value of x given by Q2/s. At this kinematic point, the reduced cross section equals 2xF1 = F2 - FL so that a determination of both this value and the value of F2, determines FL. Since the polarization of the exchanged photon is transverse at this kinematic point, we expect FL to be small because its dominate gluon component is strongly suppressed. Surprisingly, we find FL at low Q2 to be much larger than expectation and observe that both FL and F2 at x = Q2/s show several properties consistent with the dipole picture. We discuss the statistical as well as chief systematic errors of our method and we tabulate our determinations of F2, 2xF1 and FL in the Appendix.