Experimental Studies of Hadronization and Parton Propagation in the Space-Time Domain

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent experimental data on parton propagation and hadron formation from various high-energy physics experiments, aiming to develop a unified understanding of these processes in the space-time domain.

Contribution

It synthesizes diverse experimental results and discusses prospects for a comprehensive theoretical framework of hadronization and parton propagation.

Findings

New Jefferson Lab data from CLAS enhances understanding of hadronization.

Diverse experimental data provide complementary insights into parton-medium interactions.

Future experiments are expected to refine the space-time picture of hadron formation.

Abstract

Over the past decade, new data have become available from DESY, Jefferson Lab, Fermilab, and RHIC that connect to parton propagation and hadron formation. Semi-inclusive DIS on nuclei, the Drell-Yan reaction, and heavy-ion collisions all bring different kinds of information on parton propagation within a medium, while the most direct information on hadron formation comes from the DIS data. Over the next decade one can hope to begin to understand these data within a unified picture. We briefly survey the most relevant data and the common elements of the physics picture, then highlight the new Jefferson Lab data from CLAS, and close with prospects for the future.