Generalized VDM and F₂ data at low Q²

The generalised vector meson dominance model (GVDM) gives a good description of F_2 data at very low Q^2. At intermediate Q^2 a GVDM component avoids problems when applying the large-Q^2 DIS formalism, such as a negative gluon distribution in the proton. The fluctuations of the exchanged photon into vector mesons is also a natural part of a model with hadronic fluctuations of the target proton, which gives a good description of the non-perturbative x-shape of the proton's parton density functions at the starting scale Q^2_0 for DGLAP evolution.