Low Energy Compton Scattering and Nucleon Structure

Abstract

The low energy virtual Compton scattering process $eN\to e^{\prime }N\gamma$ offers a new and potentially high resolution window on nucleon sturcture via measurement of so-called generalized polarizabilities (GPs). We present calculations of GPs within heavy baryon chiral perturbation theory and discuss present experimental efforts.

Comments: Talk given at Workshop on "Physics of Mesons, Baryons and Nuclei," Cracow, May 1998, in celebration of 60th birthday of Prof. Josef Speth