Eur. Phys. J. C (2003) 29: 531-540
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s2003-01243-0

theoretical physics

Nuclear structure functions at small x from inelastic shadowing and diffraction

¹ Theory Division, CERN, 1211, Genève 23, Switzerland
² Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, Université de Paris XI, Bâtiment 210, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France
³ Laboratoire de Physique Théorique, Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, B. Cheremushkinskaya 25, 117259, Moscow, Russia
⁴ Departamento de Física, Módulo C2, Planta baja, Campus de Rabanales, Universidad de Córdoba, 14071, Córdoba, Spain

^* e-mail: Nestor.Armesto.Perez@cern.ch

Abstract

Nuclear structure functions at small x and small or moderate Q² are studied using the relation with diffraction on nucleons which arises from Gribov's reggeon calculus. A reasonable description of the experimental data is obtained with no fitted parameters. A comparison with other models and predictions for future lepton-ion colliders are provided. Consequences for the reduction of multiplicities in nucleus-nucleus collisions at energies of RHIC and LHC are examined.