The Color Dipole Picture and the ratio of R(W, Q) = sigma L/sigma T

Abstract

The transverse size of q q-bar fluctuations of the longitudinal photon is reduced relative to the transverse size of q q-bar fluctuations of the transverse photon. This implies R(W2, Q2) = 0.375 or, equivalently, FL/F2 = 0.27 at x<<0.1 and Q2 sufficiently large, while R(W2, Q2) = 0.5, if this effect is not taken into account. Forthcoming experimental data from HERA will allow to test this prediction.