Validity of Flavor Symmetry and Charge Symmetry for Parton Distributions

Abstract

Recent experimental measurements of the Gottfried Sum Rule, and pp and pD Drell-Yan processes, suggest significant violation of flavor symmetry in the proton sea. This interpretation rests on the assumption of parton charge symmetry. Our model calculations suggest charge symmetry violation [CSV] for parton valence distributions of a few percent. Precision measurements of structure functions in muon and neutrino experiments allow us to set rather stringent experimental limits on CSV in certain kinematic regions. In another region, these experiments suggest substantial CSV effects. We suggest experiments which could test parton CSV.