Prospects For Measurements Of Generalized Parton Distributions At COMPASS

The concept of Generalized Parton Distributions extends classical parton distributions by giving a 3-dimensional view of the nucleons, allowing to study correlations between the parton longitudinal momentum and its transverse position in the nucleon. Measurements of such generalized distributions can be done with the COMPASS experiment, in particular using Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering events. They require to modify the set-up of COMPASS by introducing a recoil proton detector, an additional electromagnetic calorimeter and a new liquid hydrogen target. These upgrades are presently under study, and the first data taking could take place in 2010.