QCD Factorization for Deep-Inelastic Scattering At Large Bjorken $x_B \sim 1-{\cal O}(\Lambda_{\rm QCD}/Q$

Abstract

We study deep-inelastic scattering factorization on a nucleon in the end-point regime $x_B \sim 1-{\cal O}(\Lambda_{\rm QCD}/Q)$ where the traditional operator product expansion is supposed to fail. We argue, nevertheless, that the standard result holds to leading order in $1-x_B$ due to the absence of the scale dependence on $(1-x_B)Q$. Refactorization of the scale $(1-x_B)Q^2$ in the coefficient function can be made in the soft-collinear effective theory and remains valid in the end-point regime. On the other hand, the traditional refactorization approach introduces the spurious scale $(1-x_B)Q$ in various factors, which drives them nonperturbative in the region of our interest. We show how to improve the situation by introducing a rapidity cut-off scheme, and how to recover the effective theory refactorization by choosing appropriately the cut-off parameter. Through a one-loop calculation, we demonstrate explicitly that the proper soft subtractions must be made in the collinear matrix elements to avoid double counting.