Investigating the origins of transverse spin asymmetries at BNL RHIC

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Physical Review, D

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.60.014012· OSTI ID:354524

Boer, D ^[1]

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1. RIKEN-BNL Research Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States)

We discuss possible origins of transverse spin asymmetries in hadron-hadron collisions and propose an explanation in terms of a chiral-odd {ital T}-odd distribution function with intrinsic transverse momentum dependence, which would signal a correlation between the transverse spin and the transverse momentum of quarks inside an unpolarized hadron. We will argue that despite its conceptual problems, it can account for single spin asymmetries, for example in pp{sup {up_arrow}}{r_arrow}{pi}X, and at the same time for the large cos&hthinsp;2{phi} asymmetry in the unpolarized Drell-Yan cross section, which still lacks understanding. We use the latter asymmetry to arrive at a crude model for this function and show explicitly how it relates unpolarized and polarized observables in the Drell-Yan process, as could be measured with the proton-proton collisions at BNL RHIC. Moreover, it would provide an alternative method of accessing the transversity distribution function h{sub 1}. For future reference we also list the complete set of azimuthal asymmetries in the unpolarized and polarized Drell-Yan process at leading order involving {ital T}-odd distribution functions with intrinsic transverse momentum dependence. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}

• OSTI ID: 354524
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D, Journal Name: Physical Review, D Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 60; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
CROSS SECTIONS
HADRON-HADRON INTERACTIONS
PIONS
PROTON-PROTON INTERACTIONS
SPIN
TRANSVERSE MOMENTUM