Next-to-leading Order Calculation of the Single Transverse Spin Asymmetry in the Drell-Yan Process

TL;DR

This paper computes next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the single transverse spin asymmetry in Drell-Yan processes, enhancing theoretical understanding and aiding experimental analysis.

Contribution

It provides the first NLO calculation of the asymmetry and identifies the relevant splitting function for twist-three correlation evolution.

Findings

NLO corrections significantly impact asymmetry predictions

Identified the key splitting function for scale evolution

Results have implications for phenomenological models

Abstract

We calculate the next-to-leading order perturbative QCD corrections to the transverse momentum weighted single transverse spin asymmetry in Drell-Yan lepton pair production in hadronic collisions. We identify the splitting function relevant for the scale evolution of the twist-three quark-gluon correlation function. We comment on the consequences of our results for phenomenology.