Using Drell-Yan Processes to Probe Nucleon and Meson Structure Functions

Abstract

We investigate how Drell-Yan processes can be used to measure the magnitude of flavor symmetry violation in the proton sea. We examine the utility of the following beams: protons, charged pions, and charged kaons. In each case we present an approximate expression for the Drell-Yan asymmetry. Using currently available parton distributions, we locate those kinematic regions which provide the greatest information on the quantity ${\bar{d}}^p(x)-{\bar{u}}^p(x)$. If sufficiently intense $K^{+}$ beams were available, they could provide an efficient measurement of this quantity. Finally we present and discuss sets of sum rules for the Drell-Yan processes.

Comments: 14 pages latex and 8 postscript figures, Phys. Rev. D (to appear)