We outline in detail the properties of generalized parton distributions (GPDs), which contain new information on the structure of hadrons and which enter the description of hard exclusive reactions. We highlight the physics content of the GPDs and discuss the quark GPDs in the large Nc limit and within the context of the chiral quark-soliton model. Guided by this physics, we then present a general parametrization for these GPDs. Subsequently we discuss how these GPDs enter in a wide variety of hard electroproduction processes and how they can be accessed from them. We consider in detail deeply virtual Compton scattering and the hard electroproduction of mesons. We identify a list of key observables which are sensitive to the various hadron structure aspects contained in the GPDs and which can be addressed by present and future experiments.

We study the cross section for one-particle inclusive deep inelastic scattering off the nucleon for low transverse momentum of the detected hadron. We decompose the cross section in terms of structure functions and calculate them at tree level in terms of transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution and fragmentation functions. Our results are complete in the one-photon exchange approximation at leading and first subleading twist accuracy, with both beam and target polarization.

Recent work suggests nontrivial relations between generalized parton distributions on the one hand and (naive time-reversal odd) transverse momentum dependent distributions on the other. Here we review the present knowledge on such type of relations. Moreover, as far as spectator model calculations are concerned, the existing results are considerably extended. While various relations between the two types of parton distributions can be found in the framework of spectator models, so far no nontrivial model-independent relations have been established.

The fully unintegrated, off-diagonal quark-quark correlator for a spin-1/2 hadron is parameterized in terms of so-called generalized parton correlation functions. Such objects, in particular, can be considered as mother distributions of generalized parton distributions on the one hand and transverse momentum dependent parton distributions on the other. Therefore, our study provides new, model-independent insights into the recently proposed nontrivial relations between generalized and transverse momentum dependent parton distributions. We find that none of these relations can be promoted to a model-independent status. As a by-product we obtain the first complete classification of generalized parton distributions beyond leading twist. The present paper is a natural extension of our previous corresponding analysis for spin-0 hadrons.

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