Single-Inclusive Hadron Production in Polarized pp Scattering at Next-to-Leading Logarithmic Accuracy

We study the resummation of large logarithmic perturbative corrections to the partonic cross sections relevant for the process pp-> h X at high transverse momentum of the hadron h, when the initial protons are longitudinally polarized. We perform the resummation to next-to-leading logarithmic accuracy. We present numerical results for center-of-mass energies of 19.4 GeV, relevant for comparisons to data from the Fermilab E704 experiment, and 62.4 GeV, where preliminary data from RHIC have recently become available. We find significant enhancements of the spin-dependent cross sections, but a decrease of the double-spin asymmetry for the process. This effect is less pronounced at the higher energy.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures. Figures 3, 4 and 5 modifie

Production of Neutral Pions and Eta-mesons in pp Collisions Measured with ALICE

Invariant cross sections for neutral pions and eta mesons in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 0.9, 2.76, and 7 TeV were measured by the ALICE detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD calculations describe the pi0 and eta spectra at 0.9 TeV, but overestimate the measured cross sections at 2.76 TeV and 7 TeV. The measured eta/pi0 ratio is consistent with mT scaling at 2.76 TeV. At 7 TeV indications for a violation of mT scaling were found.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the XXII International Conference on Ultra-Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, Quark Matter 2011, Annec

Q_T Resummation in Transversely Polarized Drell-Yan Process

We calculate QCD corrections to transversely polarized Drell-Yan process at a measured $Q_T$ of the produced lepton pair in the dimensional regularization scheme. The $Q_T$ distribution is discussed resumming soft gluon effects relevant for small $Q_T$.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, contribution to proceedings of International Conference on QCD and Hadronic Physics, Beijing, June 16-20, 200

Low-mass lepton pair production at large transverse momentum

We study the transverse momentum distribution of low-mass lepton pairs produced in hadronic scattering, using the perturbative QCD factorization approach. We argue that the distribution at large transverse momentum, $Q_T \gg Q$, with the pair's invariant mass $Q$ as low as $Q \sim \Lambda_{\mathrm{QCD}}$, can be systematically factorized into universal parton-to-lepton pair fragmentation functions, parton distributions, and perturbatively calculable partonic hard parts evaluated at a short distance scale $\sim {\cal O}(1/Q_T)$. We introduce a model for the input lepton pair fragmentation functions at a scale $\mu_0\sim 1$ GeV, which are then evolved perturbatively to scales relevant at RHIC. Using the evolved fragmentation functions, we calculate the transverse momentum distributions in hadron-hadron, hadron-nucleus, and nucleus-nucleus collisions at RHIC. We also discuss the sensitivity of the transverse momentum distribution of low-mass lepton pairs to the gluon distribution.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, revised version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Next-to-leading Order Evolution of Transversity Distributions and Soffer's Inequality

We present a calculation of the two-loop splitting functions for the evolution of the twist-2 `transversity' parton densities of transversely polarized nucleons. We study the implications of our results for Soffer's inequality for the case of valence quark densities.Comment: 23 Pages, LaTeX, 2 figures as eps files, final, slightly modified version, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Next-to-Leading Order Analysis of Inclusive and Semi-inclusive Polarized Data

We present a combined next-to-leading order QCD analysis to data on both inclusive and semi-inclusive polarized deep inelastic scattering asymmetries. Performing NLO QCD global fits with different sets of observables, we evaluate the impact of the very recent semi-inclusive results presented by SMC in the extraction of NLO polarized parton distributions.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures include

Direct Photons at RHIC

The PHENIX experiment has measured direct photons in $\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200$ GeV Au+Au collisions and p+p collisions. The fraction of photons due to direct production in Au+Au collisions is shown as a function of $p_T$ and centrality. This measurement is compared with expectation from pQCD calculations. Other possible sources of direct photons are discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, presented at Hot Quarks 2004, Taos, N

Direct Photons in Nuclear Collisions at FAIR Energies

Using the extrapolation of existing data estimations of prompt photon production at FAIR energies have been made. At $y=y_{c.m.}$ the rapidity density of prompt photons with $p_{t}>$ 1.5 GeV/c per central Au+Au event at 25 AGeV is estimated as $\sim 10^{-4}$ . With the planed beam intensity $10^{9}$ per second and 1% interaction probability, for 10% of most central events one can expect the prompt photon rate $\sim 10^{2}$ photons per second. Direct photons from the hadron scenario of ion collisions generated by the Hadron-String-Dynamics (HSD) transport approach with implemented meson scatterings $\pi\rho\to\pi\gamma, \pi\pi\to\rho\gamma$ have been analyzed. Photons from short-living resonances (e.g. $\omega \to \pi^{0} \gamma$) decaying during the dense phase of the collision should be considered as direct photons. They contribute significantly in the direct photon spectrum at $p_{t}=0.5 - 1$ GeV/c. At the FAIR energy 25 AGeV in Au+Au central collisions the HSD generator predicts, as a lower estimate, $\gamma_{direct}/\gamma_{\pi^{0}} \simeq$ 0.5% in the region $p_{t}=0.5 - 1$ GeV/c. At $p_{t}=1.5 - 2$ GeV/c $\gamma_{prompt}/\gamma_{\pi^{0}} \simeq$ 2%. Thermal direct photons have been evaluated with the Bjorken Hydro-Dynamics (BHD) model. The BHD spectra differ strongly from the HSD predictions. The direct photon spectrum is very sensitive to the initial temperature parameter $T_{0}$ of the model. The 10 MeV increase in the $T_{0}$ value leads to $\sim$ 2 times higher photon yield.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Talk at the session of Russian Academy of Sciences, ITEP, Moscow, 26 - 30 November 200

Comparing extractions of Sivers functions

A comparison is given of the various recently published extractions of the Sivers functions from the HERMES and COMPASS data on single-transverse spin asymmetries in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic scattering.Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of "The International Workshop on Transverse Polarisation Phenomena in Hard Processes" (Transversity 2005), Villa Olmo (Como), 7-10th. September 200