Impact of double TMD effects on transversity measurements at RHIC

TL;DR

This paper estimates the impact of double TMD effects on transversity measurements at RHIC, concluding that these effects are negligible as a background in the laboratory frame, thus not hindering current experimental efforts.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative estimate of double TMD effects on spin asymmetries and demonstrates their negligible impact on transversity measurements at RHIC.

Findings

Double TMD effects contribute similarly to transversity in the lab frame.

The background from TMD effects is negligible for current measurements.

A cross-check asymmetry can bound TMD contributions independently.

Abstract

A quantitative estimate is presented for the double transverse spin asymmetries at measured q_T in both the Drell-Yan process and W-boson production due to Transverse Momentum Dependent (TMD) effects. These spin asymmetries are calculated as a function of the lepton azimuthal angle as measured in the laboratory frame. In this frame, in contrast to the Collins-Soper frame, the TMD effects contribute to the spin asymmetry A_{TT}(q_T) in the same way as transversity does, which makes them a background for transversity measurements in the Drell-Yan process and new physics studies in W-boson production. Using the current knowledge of the relevant TMDs we conclude that this background is negligible and, therefore, will not hamper transversity measurements nor new physics studies when performed in the laboratory frame. We also point out a cross-check asymmetry measurement to bound the TMD contributions, which is independent of assumptions on the sizes of the relevant TMDs.