High Q² Behavior of the Proton Structure Function through the Balitsky-Kovchegov Equation

Numerous experimental and theoretical investigations have highlighted the power law behavior of the proton structure function F_2(x, Q^2), particularly the dependence of its power constant on various kinematic variables. In this study, we analyze the proton structure function F_2 employing the analytical solution of the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation, with a focus on the high Q^2 regime and small x domains. Our results indicate that as Q^2 increases, the slope parameter \lambda, which characterizes the growth rate of F_2, exhibits a gradual decrease, approaching a limiting value of \lambda \approx 0.41 \pm 0.01 for large Q^2. We suggest that this behavior of \lambda may be attributed to mechanisms such as gluon overlap and the suppression of phase space growth. To substantiate these conclusions, further high-precision electron-ion collision experiments are required, encompassing a broad range of Q^2 and x.