The total virtual photoabsorption cross section, deeply virtual Compton scattering and vector-meson production

Based on the two-gluon-exchange dynamical mechanism for deeply inelastic scattering at low x ~= Q^2/W^2 <<1, we stress the intimate connection between the total virtual photoabsorption cross section, deeply virtual Compton scattering and vector-meson electroproduction. A simple expression for the cross section for deeply virtual Compton scattering is derived. Parameter-free predictions are obtained for deeply-virtual Compton forward scattering and vector-meson forward production, once the parameters in the total virtual photoabsorption cross section are determined in a fit to the experimental data on deeply inelastic scattering. Our predictions are compared with the experimental data from HERA.