Final-state interactions in deep-inelastic scattering from a tensor polarized deuteron target

TL;DR

This paper models final-state interactions in deep-inelastic scattering from tensor polarized deuterons using a generalized eikonal approximation, highlighting their impact on tensor asymmetry measurements at Jefferson Lab and Hermes.

Contribution

It introduces a diffractive-based model for FSIs in DIS from tensor polarized deuterons, incorporating resonance states and providing predictions for experimental observables.

Findings

FSIs significantly affect $A_{zz}$ for $x>0.2$ in inclusive DIS.

FSIs are most pronounced at spectator momenta around 300 MeV.

Overall $A_{zz}$ remains small despite FSI effects.

Abstract

Deep-inelastic scattering (DIS) from a tensor polarized deuteron is sensitive to possible non-nucleonic components of the deuteron wave function. To accurately estimate the size of the nucleonic contribution, final-state interactions (FSIs) need to be accounted for in calculations. We outline a model that, based on the diffractive nature of the effective hadron-nucleon interaction, uses the generalized eikonal approximation to model the FSIs in the resonance region, taking into account the proton-neutron component of the deuteron. The calculation uses a factorized model with a basis of three resonances with mass $W<2$ GeV as the relevant set of effective hadron states entering the final-state interaction amplitude for inclusive DIS. We present results for the tensor asymmetry observable $A_{zz}$ for kinematics accessible in experiments at Jefferson Lab and Hermes. For inclusive DIS, sizeable effects are found when including FSIs for Bjorken $x>0.2$, but the overall size of $A_{zz}$ remains small. For tagged spectator DIS, FSIs effects are largest at spectator momenta around 300 MeV and for forward spectator angles.