Asymmetric parton distributions of the nucleon

TL;DR

This paper reviews two decades of research on asymmetric parton distributions in nucleons, including transverse momentum, generalized, and Wigner distributions, with implications for high-energy physics experiments.

Contribution

It summarizes recent advances in understanding asymmetric parton distributions, including gluon polarization, and discusses their applications in collider experiments.

Findings

Gluon distributions of linearly polarized gluons inside unpolarized nucleons are significant.

Asymmetric distributions impact Higgs production at LHC and heavy quark production at EIC.

Progress over 20 years has deepened knowledge of spin-orbit correlations in nucleons.

Abstract

This contribution to CIPANP 2012 highlights what we have learned about the asymmetric parton distributions of the nucleon over the past 20 years. These distributions include the transverse momentum dependent parton distributions describing spin-orbit correlations, but also their generalized parton and Wigner distribution analogues. Besides quark distributions, also gluon distributions are discussed, in particular the distribution of linearly polarized gluons inside unpolarized nucleons and its applications, such as at LHC in Higgs production and at a future Electron-Ion Collider in heavy quark production.