Running Coupling Effects in Small-x QCD

Abstract

We study effects of the running of the coupling in QCD at small Bjorken-x and in particular the ones related to gluon saturation. After introducing the steps taken to the derivation of the next to leading order nonlinear evolution equation, we discuss the infrared sensitivity of the Pomeron intercept, the energy dependence of the saturation momentum and the appearance of geometrical scaling, and the dominance of the running coupling effects over the ones introduced by loops of Pomerons.

Comments: Lectures given at School on QCD, Low-x Physics, Saturation and Diffraction, Copanello (Calabria), Italy, 1-14 Jul 2007