Importance of Semi Inclusive DIS Processes in Determining Fragmentation Functions

TL;DR

This paper performs a next-to-leading order QCD analysis of pion multiplicity data from HERMES and COMPASS, extracting and comparing fragmentation functions to improve understanding of semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering processes.

Contribution

It provides new sets of pion fragmentation functions derived from recent experimental data and discusses data consistency issues.

Findings

Extracted pion fragmentation functions from HERMES and COMPASS data.

Identified potential inconsistencies in HERMES data presentations.

Compared new fragmentation functions with previous results.

Abstract

A NLO QCD analysis of the HERMES and COMPASS data on pion multiplicities is presented. Sets of pion fragmentation functions are extracted from fits to the data and compared with those obtained from other groups before these data were available. The consistency between HERMES and COMPASS data is discussed. We point out a possible inconsistency between the HERMES [x, z] and [Q^2, z] presentations of their data.