Production mechanisms and single-spin asymmetry for kaons in high energy hadron-hadron collisions

Direct consequences on kaon production of the picture proposed in a recent Letter and subsequent publications are discussed. Further evidence supporting the proposed picture is obtained. Comparison with the data for the inclusive cross sections in unpolarized reactions is made. Quantitative results for the left-right asymmetry in single-spin processes are presented.Comment: 10 pages, 2 Postscript figure

Lambda Polarization in Polarized Proton-Proton Collisions at RHIC

We discuss Lambda polarization in semi-inclusive proton-proton collisions, with one of the protons longitudinally polarized. The hyperfine interaction responsible for the $\Delta$-$N$ and $\Sigma$-$\Lambda$ mass splittings gives rise to flavor asymmetric fragmentation functions and to sizable polarized non-strange fragmentation functions. We predict large positive Lambda polarization in polarized proton-proton collisions at large rapidities of the produced Lambda, while other models, based on SU(3) flavor symmetric fragmentation functions, predict zero or negative Lambda polarization. The effect of $\Sigma^0$ and $\Sigma^*$ decays is also discussed. Forthcoming experiments at RHIC will be able to differentiate between these predictions.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figure

Analyzing powers in inclusive pion production at high energy and the nucleon spin structure

Analyzing powers in inclusive pion production in high energy transversely polarized proton-proton collisions are studied theoretically in the framework of the quark recombination model. Calculations by assuming the SU(6) spin-flavor symmetry for the nucleon structure disagree with the experiments. We solve this difficulty by taking into account the %We overcome this difficulty by taking into account the realistic spin distribution functions of the nucleon, which differs from the SU(6) expectation at large $x$, %but coincides with a perturbative QCD constraint on the ratio of the unpolarized valence distributions, $u/d \to 5$ as $x \to 1$. We also discuss the kaon spin asymmetry and find $A_N(K^+) = -A_N(K^0)$ in the polarized proton-proton collisions at large $x_F$.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, late

Experimental data on the single spin asymmetry and their interpretations by the chromo-magnetic string model

An attempt is made to interpret the various existing experimental data on the single spin asymmetries in inclusive pion production by the polarized proton and antiproton beams. As the basis of analysis the chromo-magnetic string model is used. A whole measured kinematic region is covered. The successes and fails of such approach are outlined. The possible improvements of model are discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

Single spin asymmetries in QCD

Measurements of single transverse spin asymmetries in high energy inclusive processes have always shown unexpected and challenging results. Several cases are considered and discussed within a QCD approach which couples perturbative dynamics to new non perturbative partonic information; the aim is that of developing a consistent phenomenological description of these unusual single spin phenomena, based on a generalized QCD factorization scheme.Comment: 14 pages, lectures delivered at School on "Symmetries and Spin", Praha-SPIN-2001, Prague, July 15 - July 28, 200

Single spin asymmetries in DIS

We consider possible mechanisms for single spin asymmetries in inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) processes with unpolarized leptons and transversely polarized nucleons. Tests for the effects of non-zero \bfk_\perp, for the properties of spin dependent quark fragmentations and for quark helicity conservation are suggested.Comment: 5 pages, LaTeX, no figures. Revised version, to be published in Phys. Rev. D. Some equations and statements added to clarify text and notation

Hyperon polarization and single spin left-right asymmetry in inclusive production processes at high energies

It is shown that the polarization of hyperons observed in high energy collisions using unpolarized hadron beams and unpolarized nucleon or nuclear targets is closely related to the left-right asymmetries observed in single spin inclusive hadron production processes. The relationship is most obvious for the production of the hyperons which have only one common valence quark with the projectile. Examples of this kind are given. Further implications of the existence of large polarization for hyperon which has two valence quarks in common with the projectile and their consequences are discussed. A comparison with the available data is made. Further tests are suggested.Comment: REVTeX, 12 pages, 2 figures embedde

Structure and Production of Lambda Baryons

We discuss the quark parton structure of the $\Lambda$ baryon and the fragmentation of quarks into $\Lambda$ baryons. We show that the hyperfine interaction, responsible for the $\Delta$-$N$ and $\Sigma^0$-$\Lambda$ mass splittings, leads not only to sizeable SU(3) and SU(6) symmetry breaking in the quark distributions of the $\Lambda$, but also to significant polarized non-strange quark distributions. The same arguments suggest flavor asymmetric quark fragmentation functions and non-zero polarized non-strange quark fragmentation functions. The calculated fragmentation functions give a good description of all measured observables. We predict significant positive $\Lambda$ polarization in semi-inclusive DIS experiments while models based on SU(3) flavor symmetry predict zero or negative $\Lambda$ polarization. Our approach also provides a natural explanation for the dependence of the maximum of the $\xi=\ln(1/z)$ spectrum on the mass of the particles produced in $e^+e^-$ annihilation.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, minor change

Charge symmetry violation in the parton distributions of the nucleon

We point out that charge symmetry violation in both the valence and sea quark distributions of the nucleon has a non-perturbative source. We calculate this non-perturbative charge symmetry violation using the meson cloud model, which has earlier been successfully applied to both the study of SU(2) flavour asymmetry in the nucleon sea and quark-antiquark asymmetry in the nucleon. We find that the charge symmetry violation in the valence quark distribution is well below 1%, which is consistent with most low energy tests but significantly smaller than the quark model prediction about 5%-10%. Our prediction for the charge symmetry violation in the sea quark distribution is also much smaller than the quark model calculation.Comment: RevTex, 26 pages, 6 PostScript figure

Next-to-leading order QCD evolution of transversity fragmentation functions

We derive the next-to-leading order splitting kernels for the scale evolution of fragmentation functions for transversely polarized quarks into transversely polarized hadrons.Comment: 9 pages, LaTe