We consider the azimuthal correlations of charged hadron pairs with large total transverse momentum and small relative momentum, produced in proton-proton collisions with one transversely polarized proton. One of these correlations directly probes the chiral-odd transversity parton distribution in connection with a chiral-odd interference fragmentation function. We present predictions for this observable based on previous extractions of transversity (from charged pion pair production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering) and of the interference fragmentation function (from the production of back-to-back charged pion pairs in electron-positron annihilations). All analyses are performed in the framework of collinear factorization. We compare our predictions to the recent data on proton-proton collisions released by the STAR Collaboration at RHIC, and we find them reasonably compatible. This comparison confirms for the first time the predicted role of transversity in proton-proton collisions, and it allows us to test its universality.

Exploring universality of transversity in proton-proton collisions

RADICI, MARCO;BACCHETTA, ALESSANDRO;
2016-01-01

Abstract

We consider the azimuthal correlations of charged hadron pairs with large total transverse momentum and small relative momentum, produced in proton-proton collisions with one transversely polarized proton. One of these correlations directly probes the chiral-odd transversity parton distribution in connection with a chiral-odd interference fragmentation function. We present predictions for this observable based on previous extractions of transversity (from charged pion pair production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering) and of the interference fragmentation function (from the production of back-to-back charged pion pairs in electron-positron annihilations). All analyses are performed in the framework of collinear factorization. We compare our predictions to the recent data on proton-proton collisions released by the STAR Collaboration at RHIC, and we find them reasonably compatible. This comparison confirms for the first time the predicted role of transversity in proton-proton collisions, and it allows us to test its universality.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11571/1172704
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