We summarize some of our recent work on non-perturbative transverse momentum dependent (TMD) evolution, emphasizing aspects that are necessary for dealing with moderately low scale processes like semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering.
In the QCD evolution of transverse momentum dependent parton distribution and fragmentation functions, the Collins-Soper evolution kernel includes both a perturbative short-distance contribution as well as a large-distance non-perturbative, but strongly universal, contribution. In the past, global fits, based mainly on larger $Q$ Drell-Yan-like processes, have found substantial contributions from non-perturbative regions in the Collins-Soper evolution kernel. In this article, we investigate semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering measurements in the region of relatively small $Q$, of the order of a few GeV, where sensitivity to non-perturbative transverse momentum dependence may become more important or even dominate the evolution. Using recently available deep inelastic scattering data from the COMPASS experiment, we provide estimates of the regions of coordinate space that dominate in TMD processes when the hard scale is of the order of only a few GeV. We find that distance scales that are much larger than those commonly probed in large $Q$ measurements become important, suggesting that the details of non-perturbative effects in TMD evolution are especially significant in the region of intermediate $Q$. We highlight the strongly universal nature of the non-perturbative component of evolution, and its potential to be tightly constrained by fits from a wide variety of observables that include both large and moderate $Q$. On this basis, we recommend detailed treatments of the non-perturbative component of the Collins-Soper evolution kernel for future TMD studies.
In using transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) parton densities and fragmentation functions, important non-perturbative information is at large transverse position $b_T$. This concerns both the TMD functions and their evolution. Fits to high energy data tend to predict too rapid evolution when extrapolated to low energies where larger values of $b_T$ dominate. I summarize a new analysis of the issues. It results in a proposal for much weaker $b_T$ dependence at large $b_T$ for the evolution kernel, while preserving the accuracy of the existing fits. The results are particularly important for using transverse-spin-dependent functions like the Sivers function.
We study the rapidity evolution of gluon transverse momentum dependent distributions appearing in processes of particle production and show how this evolution changes from small to moderate Bjorken x.
We give an overview of the current status of perturbative QCD factorization theorems in processes that involve transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions (PDFs) and fragmentation functions (FF). We enumerate those cases where TMD-factorization is well-established, and mention cases where it is likely to fail. We discuss recent progress in the implementation of specific TMD-factorization calculations, including the implementation of evolution. We also give examples of hard part calculations. We end by discussing future strategies for the implementation of TMD-factorization in phenomenological applications.