Perturbative and non-perturbative QCD corrections to wide-angle Compton scattering

Abstract

We investigate corrections to the handbag approach for wide-angle Compton scattering off protons at moderately large momentum transfer: the photon-parton subprocess is calculated to next-to-leading order QCD and contributions from the generalized parton distribution E} are taken into account. Photon and proton helicity flip amplitudes are non-zero due to these corrections which leads to a wealth of polarization phenomena in Compton scattering. Thus, for instance, the incoming photon asymmetry or the transverse polarization of the proton are non-zero although small.