ar X iv : h ep - p h / 94 10 24 1 v 1 6 O ct 1 99 4 Preprint Alberta - Thy - 29 - 94

The nuclear effects in the spin-dependent structure functions g D 1 and b D 2 are calculated in the relativistic approach based on the Bethe-Salpeter equation with a realistic meson-exchange potential. The results of calculations are compared with the non-relativistic calculations. The problem of extraction of the neutron spin structure function, g n 1 , from the deuteron data is discussed. In this talk we present a relativistic approach to the deep inelastic lepton scattering on the deuteron based on the Bethe-Salpeter (BS) equation within a realistic meson-exchange model. The method is developed in refs. [1, 2] and now we apply it to the deep inelastic scattering with polarized particles. We calculate the leading twist spin-dependent structure functions (SF) of the deuteron, g D 1 and b D 2 [3], and we discuss the extraction of the neutron SF g n 1 from deuteron data. This investigation is partially motivated by a number of existing and forthcoming experiments on the deep inelastic scattering of leptons by deuterons (SLAC, CERN, DESY, CEBAF). A covariant theory of this process will be useful in the analysis of the experimental data.