The role of Cahn and Sivers effects in Deep Inelastic Scattering

The role of intrinsic \bfk_\perp in inclusive and semi-inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering processes ($\ell p \to \ell h X$) is studied with exact kinematics within QCD parton model at leading order; the dependence of the unpolarized cross section on the azimuthal angle between the leptonic and the hadron production planes (Cahn effect) is compared with data and used to estimate the average values of $k_\perp$ both in quark distribution and fragmentation functions. The resulting picture is applied to the description of the weighted single spin asymmetry $A_{UT}^{\sin(\phi_\pi - \phi_S)}$ recently measured by the HERMES collaboration at DESY; this allows to extract some simple models for the quark Sivers functions. These are compared with the Sivers functions which succeed in describing the data on transverse single spin asymmetries in \pup p \to \pi X processes; the two sets of functions are not inconsistent. The extracted Sivers functions give predictions for the COMPASS measurement of $A_{UT}^{\sin(\phi_\pi - \phi_S)}$ in agreement with recent preliminary data, while their contribution to HERMES $A_{UL}^{\sin\phi_\pi}$ is computed and found to be small. Predictions for $A_{UT}^{\sin(\phi_K - \phi_S)}$ for kaon production at HERMES are also given.Comment: 21 pages, 12 figures, revtex, version published in PRD, one figure, comments and references adde

Mapping solar irradiance within Schrödinger Basin for future robotic sample return missions

The US National Research Council (NRC) identified eight scientific concepts and thirty-five prioritized investigations to be addressed with continued lunar exploration. These objectives are broadly consistent with those identified throughout the international community. the majority of these objectives require sample return from the Moon. Schrödinger basin has been highlighted as a particularly attractive location to find suitable samples

Exploring the proton spin structure

Understanding the spin structure of the proton is one of the main challenges in hadronic physics. While the concepts of spin and orbital angular momentum are pretty clear in the context of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, the generalization of these concepts to quantum field theory encounters serious difficulties. It is however possible to define meaningful decompositions of the proton spin that are (in principle) measurable. We propose a summary of the present situation including recent developments and prospects of future developments.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables, contribution to the proceedings of the DAE-BRNS High Energy Physics Symposium 2014, Dec 8-12, Guwahati, Indi

Determination of polarized parton distribution functions with recent data on polarization asymmetries

Global analysis has been performed within the next-to-leading order in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) to determine polarized parton distributions with new experimental data in spin asymmetries. The new data set includes JLab, HERMES, and COMPASS measurements on spin asymmetry A_1 for the neutron and deuteron in lepton scattering. Our new analysis also utilizes the double-spin asymmetry for pi^0 production in polarized pp collisions, A_{LL}^{pi^0}, measured by the PHENIX collaboration. Because of these new data, uncertainties of the polarized PDFs are reduced. In particular, the JLab, HERMES, and COMPASS measurements are valuable for determining Delta d_v(x) at large x and Delta qbar(x) at x~0.1. The PHENIX pi^0 data significantly reduce the uncertainty of Delta g(x). Furthermore, we discuss a possible constraint on Delta g(x) at large x by using the HERMES data on g_1^d in comparison with the COMPASS ones at x~0.05.Comment: 11 pages, REVTeX, 13 eps files, Phys. Rev. D in pres

Can the polarization of the strange quarks in the proton be positive ?

Recently, the HERMES Collaboration at DESY, using a leading order QCD analysis of their data on semi-inclusive deep inelastic production of charged hadrons, reported a marginally positive polarization for the strange quarks in the proton. We argue that a non-negative polarization is almost impossible.Comment: 6 pages, latex, minor changes in the discussion after Eq. (9

On the Role of Higher Twist in Polarized Deep Inelastic Scattering

The higher twist corrections $h^N(x)/Q^2$ to the spin dependent proton and neutron structure functions $g_1^N(x, Q^2)$ are extracted in a model independent way from experimental data on $g_1^N$ and found to be non-negligible. It is shown that the NLO QCD polarized parton densities determined from the data on g1, including higher twist effects, are in good agreement with those found earlier from our analysis of the data on g1/F1 and A1 where higher twist effects are negligible. On the contrary, the LO QCD polarized parton densities obtained from the data on g1, including higher twist, differ significantly from our previous results.Comment: 18 pages, latex, 6 figures, final version which will be published in Phys. Rev. D, fig. 5 is changed, misprints in Table 2 are remove

Models for the Polarized Parton Distributions of the Nucleon

Polarized deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data are analyzed in leading and next-to-leading order of QCD within the common `standard' scenario of polarized parton distributions with a flavor-symmetric light sea (antiquark) distribution $\delta\bar{q}$, and a completely SU(3)$_f$ broken `valence' scenario with totally flavor-asymmetric light sea densities $(\delta\bar{u}\neq\delta\bar{d}\neq\delta\bar{s})$. The latter flavor-broken light sea distributions are modelled with the help of a Pauli-blocking ansatz at the low radiative/dynamical input scales of $\mu_{\rm LO(NLO)}^2=0.26$ (0.40) GeV$^2$ which complies with predictions of the chiral quark-soliton model and expectations based on the statistical parton model as well as with the corresponding, well established, flavor-broken unpolarized sea ($\bar{d}>\bar{u}$). Present semi-inclusive DIS data cannot yet uniquely discriminate between those two flavor-symmetric and flavor-broken polarized light sea scenarios.Comment: 39 pages, LaTe

On the potential role of the Collins effect in A_N in pp --> pion X

Transverse single spin asymmetries in pp --> pion X processes, while on a quite firm ground experimentally, are still a much debated phenomenological issue. We consider them in a transverse momentum dependent factorization scheme. After revisiting a previous result, we give new estimates of the Collins contribution by adopting the latest information on the Collins and transversity functions, as extracted from SIDIS and e+e- data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, uses cimento.cls. Talk delivered by U. D'Alesio at the "3rd Workshop on the QCD Structure of the Nucleon" (QCD-N'12), Oct. 22-26, 2012, Bilbao, Spain. Submitted to "Il Nuovo Cimento C

Axial anomaly: the modern status

The modern status of the problem of axial anomaly in QED and QCD is reviewed. Two methods of the derivation of the axial anomaly are presented: 1) by splitting of coordinates in the expression for the axial current and 2) by calculation of triangle diagrams, where the anomaly arises from the surface terms in momentum space. It is demonstrated, that the equivalent formulation of the anomaly can be given, as a sum rule for the structure function in dispersion representation of three point function of AVV interaction. It is argued, that such integral representation of the anomaly has some advantages in the case of description of the anomaly by contribution of hadronic states in QCD. The validity of the t'Hooft consistency condition is discussed. Few examples of the physical application of the axial anomaly are given.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, to be published in International Journal of Modern Physics A, few minor correction were done, two references were adde