Single Spin Asymmetries in Heavy Quark and Antiquark Productions

TL;DR

This paper investigates single transverse spin asymmetries in heavy quark and antiquark production, emphasizing the role of initial and final state interactions and predicting measurable differences in asymmetries for quarks versus antiquarks.

Contribution

It introduces a model-independent prediction of a factor of three difference in spin asymmetries between heavy quarks and antiquarks due to color charge effects, which can be tested experimentally.

Findings

Final state interactions cause a threefold difference in asymmetries.

The asymmetry difference depends on color charge effects.

Experimental validation can test the underlying mechanisms.

Abstract

The single transverse spin asymmetries in heavy quark and anti-quark production from the quark-antiquark annihilation channel contribution is studied by taking into account the initial and final state interactions effects. Because of the different color charges, the final state interaction effects lead to about a factor of 3 difference in the spin asymmetry for heavy quark over that for the anti-quark in the valence region of low energy pp collisions. The experimental study of this model-independent prediction shall provide a crucial test for the underlying mechanism for the single spin asymmetry phenomena.