The $n=2, 4, 6$ moments of the nucleon structure function $F_2$ were evaluated from muon and electron deep-inelastic scattering measurements on hydrogen and deuterium done at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center and Fermilab. From these moments the quark and gluon content of the nucleon was determined by application of the theory of asymptotic freedom. With the values ${0.25}_{+0.10\mathrm{}}^{-0.11\mathrm{}}$ for $R=\frac{{\sigma }_L}{{\sigma }_T}$, the scale parameter of the theory was determined to be $\Lambda =600\mathrm{}\pm 80$ MeV.

• Received 30 December 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.40.1061