Spin Effects in High Energy Fragmentation Processes

Recent measurements, in particular those on $\Lambda$ polarization and spin alignment of vector mesons in $e^+e^-$ annihilation at LEP, and those on the azimuthal asymmetry at HERA, have attracted much attention on the spin effects in high energy fragmentation processes. In this talk, we make a brief introduction to the different topics studied in this connection and a short summary of the available data. After that, we present a short summary of the main theoretical results that we obtained in studying these different topics. The talk was mainly based on the publications [5-9] which have been finished in collaboration with C.Boros, Liu Chun-xiu and Xu Qing-hua.Comment: Plenary talk given at the 3rd Circum-Pan-Pacifc Symposium on High Energy Spin Physics, October 2001, 8 pages, 4 figure

Spin content of Lambda and its longitudinal polarization in e+e−e^+e^- annihilation at high energies

Longitudinal polarization of Lambda produced in $e^+e^-$ annihilation at LEP energies is calculated in a picture for the spin content of Lambda which is consistent with the polarized deep inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering data and SU(3) flavor symmetry for hyperon decay so that the spin of Lambda is not completely carried by its $s$-valence quark. A comparison with the recent ALEPH data and the results of earlier calculations based on the static quark model in which the spin of Lambda is completely determined by the $s$-quark is given. The result shows that further measurements of such polarization should provide useful information to the question of which picture is more suitable in describing the spin effects in the fragmentation processes.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Single spin asymmetries in inclusive high energy hadron-hadron collision processes

It has been realized for quite a long time that single-spin experiments, in which one of the colliding objects is transversely polarized, can be helpful in studying the properties of strong interaction in general and in testing Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) in particular. Striking effects have been observed in the past few years which deviate drastically from the expectation of the perturbative QCD parton model. These effects have received much attention. New experiments of the similar type are underway and/or planned. Different theoretical attempts have been made to understand these effects. In this review, the special role played by singly polarized high-energy hadron-hadron collisions in High Energy Spin Physics is emphasized. Characteristics of the available data for inclusive hadron productions are briefly summarized. Different theoretical approaches for such processes are reviewed with special attention to a non-perturbative model which explicitly takes the orbital motion of the valence quarks and hadronic surface effects into account. The connection between such asymmetries and hyperon polarization in unpolarized reactions is discussed. An example of the possible application of such experimental results in other processes is given.Comment: 62 pages, 17 ps-figures (Review article to appear in Inter. J. Mod. Phys. A

Orbiting valence quarks and their influence on the structure functions of the nucleon

It is shown that intrinsic orbital motion of the valence quarks has large influences on the spin-dependent as well as the spin-averaged nucleon structure functions. Its connection with the observed ``very small contribution of quark spin to nucleon spin'' and the observed violation of Gottfried sum rule is discussed.Comment: 10 pages (LaTeX) including 3 figure