On the cos 2 phi asymmetry in unpolarized leptoproduction

We investigate the origin of the cos 2 phi azimuthal asymmetry in unpolarized semiinclusive DIS. The contributions to this asymmetry arising from the intrinsic transverse motion of quarks are explicitly evaluated, and predictions for the HERMES and COMPASS kinematic regimes are presented. We show that the effect of the leading-twist Boer-Mulders function h_1^perp(x, k_T^2), which describes a correlation between the transverse momentum and the transverse spin of quarks, is quite significant and may also account for a part of the cos 2 phi asymmetry measured by ZEUS in the perturbative domain.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figure

Connection between Distribution and Fragmentation Functions

We show that the quark fragmentation function $D(z)$ and the quark distribution function $q(x)$ are connected in the $z \to 1$ limit by the approximate relation $D(z)/z \simeq q(2-1/z)$, where both quantities are in their physical regions. Predictions for proton production in inelastic $e^+ e^-$ annihilation, based on the new relation and standard parametrizations of quark distribution functions, are found to be compatible with the data.Comment: 10 latex pages, 2 figures, published as Rapid Communication in PR

Single spin asymmetry in πp\pi p Drell-Yan process

We study the single spin asymmetries for the $\pi p^\uparrow\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-X$ process. We consider the asymmetries contributed by the coupling of the Boer-Mulders function with the transversity distribution and the pretzelosity distribution, characterized by the $\sin(\phi+\phi_S)$ and $\sin(3\phi-\phi_S)$ azimuthal angular dependence, respectively. We estimate the magnitude of these asymmetries at COMPASS by using proper weighting functions. We find that the $\sin(\phi+\phi_S)$ asymmetry is of the size of a few percent and can be measured through the experiment. The $\sin(3\phi-\phi_S)$ asymmetry is smaller than the $\sin(\phi+\phi_S)$ asymmetry. After a cut on $q_T$, we succeed in enhancing the asymmetry.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, final version to appear in PL

Transversity from two pion interference fragmentation

We present calculation on the azimuthal spin asymmetries for pion pair production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) process at both HERMES and COMPASS kinematics, with transversely polarized proton, deuteron and neutron targets. We calculate the asymmetry by adopting a set of parametrization of the interference fragmentation functions and two different models for the transversity. We find that the result for the proton target is insensitive to the approaches of the transversity but more helpful to understand the interference fragmentation functions. However, for the neutron target, which can be obtained through using deuteron and {$^3$He} targets, we find different predictions for different approaches to the transversity. Thus probing the two pion interference fragmentation from the neutron can provide us more interesting information on the transversity.Comment: 15 latex pages, 6 figures, to appear in PR

Ratio of Λˉ/Λ\bar{\Lambda}/\Lambda in Semi-inclusive Electroproduction

It is shown that the $\bar{\Lambda}/\Lambda$ cross section ratio in semi-inclusive electroproduction of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ hyperons in deep inelastic scattering of charged lepton on a nucleon target, can provide useful information on the quark to $\Lambda$ fragmentation functions. This ratio is calculated explicitly in a quark-diquark model, a pQCD based analysis, and an SU(3) symmetry model, with three different options for the contribution from the unfavored fragmentation functions. The $x$-dependence of this ratio is sensitive to the ratio of unfavored fragmentation functions over favored fragmentation functions, $D_{\bar{u}}^{\Lambda}(z)/D_{u}^{\Lambda}(z)$, whereas the $z$-dependence is sensitive to the flavor structure of the fragmentation functions, i.e., the ratio $D_u^{\Lambda}(z)/D_s^{\Lambda}(z)$. Future measurements by the HERMES Collaboration at DESY can discriminate between various cases.Comment: 11 latex files, 6 figure

The Quark-Antiquark Asymmetry of the Nucleon Sea from Λ\Lambda and Λˉ\bar{\Lambda} Fragmentation

We present a general analysis of the spin transfer for $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ production in deep-inelastic scattering of polarized charged leptons on the nucleon, and find that the pattern of different behaviors of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ production observed by the E665 Collaboration suggests the possibility of quark-antiquark asymmetries either in the quark to $\Lambda$ fragmentation functions and/or in the quark and antiquark distributions of the target proton. We also point out that the strange-antistrange asymmetry of the nucleon sea may produce an observable contribution to the different behaviors of $\Lambda$ and $\bar{\Lambda}$ production. We find that a softer $\bar{s}(x)$ than $s(x)$ as predicted by the light-cone baryon-meson fluctuation model of intrinsic quark-antiquark pairs of the nucleon sea might lead to a reasonable picture. However, the magnitude is still too small to explain the E665 data and the conclusion has also strong model-dependence. This may suggest the importance of quark-antiquark asymmetry in the quark to $\Lambda$ fragmentation functions, provided that the E665 data are confirmed.Comment: 15 latex pages, 2 figure

Scale Dependence of Twist-3 Quark-Gluon Operators for Single Spin Asymmetries

We derive the scale dependence of twist-3 quark-gluon operators, or ETQS matrix elements, at one-loop. These operators are used to factorize transverse single spin asymmetries, which are studied intensively both in experiment and theory. The scale dependence of two special cases are particularly interesting. One is of soft-gluon-pole matrix elements, another is of soft-quark-pole matrix elements. From our results the evolutions in the two cases can be obtained. A comparison with existing results of soft-gluon-pole matrix elements is made.Comment: typo in Eq.(10) corrected, references adde

Particle-Antiparticle Asymmetries of Λ\Lambda Production in Hadron-Nucleon Collisions

The particle-antiparticle asymmetries of $\Lambda$ production in 250 GeV/c $\pi^{\pm}$, $K^{\pm}$, and $p$ --nucleon collisions are studied with two model parametrizations of quark to $\Lambda$ fragmentation functions. It is shown that the available data can be qualitatively explained by the calculated results in both the quark-diquark model and a pQCD based analysis of fragmentation functions. The differences in the two model predictions are significant for $K^{\pm}$ beams, and high precision measurements of the asymmetries with detailed $x_F$ and $P_T$ information can discriminate between different predictions.Comment: 14 LaTex pages, 4 figures, to appear in Phys. Lett.

A systematic phenomenological study of the cos⁡2ϕ\cos 2 \phi asymmetry in unpolarized semi--inclusive DIS

We study the $\cos 2 \phi$ azimuthal asymmetry in unpolarized semi-inclusive DIS, taking into account both the perturbative contribution (gluon emission and splitting) and the non perturbative effects arising from intrinsic transverse motion and transverse spin of quarks. In particular we explore the possibility to extract from some information about the Boer--Mulders function $h_1^{\perp}$, which represents a transverse--polarization asymmetry of quarks inside an unpolarized hadron. Predictions are presented for the HERMES, COMPASS and JLab kinematics, where is dominated by the kinematical higher--twist contribution, and turns to be of order of few percent. We show that a larger asymmetry in $\pi^-$ production, compared to $\pi^+$ production, would represent a signature of the Boer--Mulders effect.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figure

Up and Down Quark Contributions to Spin Content of Lambda from Fragmentation

We check the $u$ and $d$ quark contributions to the spin content of the $\Lambda$ by means of the $q\to\Lambda$ fragmentation and find that the $u$ and $d$ quarks of the $\Lambda$ are likely positively polarized. The parton distributions in the $\Lambda$ are given by a successful statistical model which can reproduce and correlate a vast body of polarized and unpolarized structure function and parton distribution data of the nucleon. With the Gribov-Lipatov relation between the quark distributions and fragmentation functions, the longitudinal spin transfer for the $\Lambda$ production in the polarized charged lepton deep inelastic scattering (DIS) process and the $\Lambda$-polarization in the neutrino (antineutrino) DIS process are predicted. The available experimental data suggests that the $u$ and $d$ quark contributions to the spin of the $\Lambda$ are positive. In addition, our results provide a collateral evidence for the SU(3) symmetry breaking in hyperon semileptonic decays of the octet baryons, which is very important for a deeper understanding of the proton 'spin crisis'.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl