Using Drell-Yan Processes to Probe Nucleon and Meson Structure Functions

Abstract

We investigate how Drell-Yan processes can be used to measure the magnitude of flavor symmetry violation in the proton sea. We examine the utility of the following beams: protons, charged pions, and charged kaons. In each case we present an approximate expression for the Drell-Yan asymmetry. Using currently available parton distributions, we locate those kinematic regions which provide the greatest information on the quantity $\bar{d}^p(x) - \bar{u}^p(x)$. If sufficiently intense $K^+$ beams were available, they could provide an efficient measurement of this quantity. Finally we present and discuss sets of sum rules for the Drell-Yan processes.