Photon structure via the Drell-Yan process

Abstract

We assess Drell-Yan photoproduction as a method of measuring the structure functions of the photon. The behavior of the cross section is examined in all variables: energy, lepton-pair rapidity, transverse momentum, and lepton-pair angular distribution. We also calculate the Bethe-Heitler background and examine the interference between the Drell-Yan and Bethe-Heitler amplitudes. We conclude that the Drell-Yan photoproduction cross section is probably too small in regions of interest to be observed in practical experiments even at Fermilab Tevatron energies.