The Proton Electromagnetic Generalized Polarizabilities

Abstract

The electromagnetic polarizabilities are fundamental properties of the proton that characterize its response to an external EM field. The generalization of the EM polarizabilities to non-zero four-momentum transfer opens up a powerful path to study the internal structure of the proton. They map out the spatial distribution of the polarization densities in the proton, provide access to key dynamical mechanisms that contribute to the electric and the magnetic polarizability effects, and allow to determine fundamental characteristics of the system, such as the electric and the magnetic polarizability radii. This article reviews the knowledge of the proton EM generalized polarizabilities. An introduction is given to the basic concepts and to the theoretical framework, that is then followed by a discussion that emphasizes the recent developments and findings of the Virtual Compton scattering experiments and future perspectives on the topic.