We present a comprehensive study of the lowest moments of nucleon generalized parton distributions in N_f=2+1 lattice QCD using domain wall valence quarks and improved staggered sea quarks. Our investigation includes helicity dependent and independen
t generalized parton distributions for pion masses as low as 350 MeV and volumes as large as (3.5 fm)^3, for a lattice spacing of 0.124 fm. We use perturbative renormalization at one-loop level with an improvement based on the non-perturbative renormalization factor for the axial vector current, and only connected diagrams are included in the isosinglet channel.
Moments of the generalized parton distributions of the nucleon, calculated with a mixed action of domain wall valence quarks and asqtad staggered sea quarks, are presented for pion masses extending down to 359 MeV. Results for the moments of the unpo
larized, helicity, and transversity distributions are given and compared to the available experimental measurements. Additionally, a selection of the generalized form factors are shown and the implications for the spin decomposition and transverse structure of the nucleon are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding systematic errors in the lattice calculation and exploring a variety of chiral extrapolations.
