Transverse Momentum in Semi-Inclusive Polarized Deep Inelastic Scattering and the Spin-Flavor Structure of the Proton

Abstract

The non-valence spin-flavor structure of the nucleon extracted from semi-inclusive measurements of polarized deep inelastic scattering depends strongly on the transverse momentum of the detected hadrons which are used to determine the individual polarized sea distributions. This physics may explain the recent HERMES observation of a positively polarized strange sea through semi-inclusive scattering, in contrast to the negative strange sea polarization deduced from inclusive polarized deep inelastic scattering.Comment: 4 pages, revtex style, 2 figure