Small-x Physics, High Parton Densities and Parton Saturation in QCD

Abstract

Partons are defined as the quanta in a Fock space description of a hadron. Gluon saturation is described in the Weizsäcker-Williams approximation for a large nucleus. The elements of DGLAP and BFKL evolution are given with the BFKL equation derived in a large-$N_c$ dipole formalism. A more general discussion of saturation is given in terms of a dipole scattering on a nucleon or nucleus. Possible evidence for saturation at HERA is discussed.

Comments: 33 pages 15 figures