Photon structure function



The quark content of the photon is described in quantum field theory by the photon structure function defined by the process e + γ → e + hadrons. It is uniquely characterized by the linear increase in the logarithm of the electronic momentum transfer log Q and by the approximately linear rise in x , the fraction of the quark momenta within the photon.These characteristics are borne out by the experimental analyses of the photon structure function.