Radiatively Generated Isospin Violations in the Nucleon and the NuTeV Anomaly

Predictions of isospin asymmetries of valence and sea distributions are presented which are generated by QED leading ${\cal{O}}(\alpha)$ photon bremsstrahlung effects. Together with isospin violations arising from nonperturbative hadronic sources (such as quark and target mass differences) as well as with even a conservative contribution from a strangeness asymmetry ($s\neq \bar{s}$), the discrepancy between the large NuTeV `anomaly' result for $\sin^2\theta_W$ and the world average of other measurements is removed.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Constraints on spin-dependent parton distributions at large x from global QCD analysis

We investigate the behavior of spin-dependent parton distribution functions (PDFs) at large parton momentum fractions x in the context of global QCD analysis. We explore the constraints from existing deep-inelastic scattering data, and from theoretical expectations for the leading x -> 1 behavior based on hard gluon exchange in perturbative QCD. Systematic uncertainties from the dependence of the PDFs on the choice of parametrization are studied by considering functional forms motivated by orbital angular momentum arguments. Finally, we quantify the reduction in the PDF uncertainties that may be expected from future high-x data from Jefferson Lab at 12 GeV.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

The Uniqueness of the Θ+\Theta^+ Pentaquark

The existence of the $\Theta^+$ pentaquark requires a peculiar mechanism to explain its stability. Looking at quark clusters, notably diquark and triquark configurations, such a mechanism may be found in the color-magnetic interaction between quarks. It is possible to understand why the $\Theta^+$ is unique. Chiral dynamics, in particular the ease of pion emission, will render other members of the same flavor antidecuplet, such as the $\Xi^{--}$ very unstable.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 19th European Few Body Conferenc