Double Spin Asymmetries $A_{LT}^{\cos\phi_S}$ and $A_{LT}^{\cos(2\phi_h -\phi_S)}$ in semi-inclusive DIS

TL;DR

This paper calculates and predicts double spin asymmetries in semi-inclusive DIS involving twist-3 distributions, providing insights into nucleon structure and offering the first predictions for these asymmetries at HERMES, JLab, and COMPASS.

Contribution

It introduces a spectator-diquark model calculation of twist-3 distributions and predicts the associated asymmetries for pion production in semi-inclusive DIS.

Findings

Asymmetries are sizable at HERMES and JLab.

The $ ext{cos}\phi_S$ asymmetry strongly depends on Bjorken $x$.

The $ ext{cos}(2\phi_h -\phi_S)$ asymmetry mainly probes $g_T^ot$.

Abstract

We investigate the double spin asymmetries of pion production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering with a longitudinal polarized beam off a transversely polarized proton target. Particularly, we consider the $\cos\phi_S$ and $\cos(2\phi_h -\phi_S)$ modulations, which can be interpreted by the convolution of the twist-3 transverse momentum dependent distributions and twist-2 fragmentation functions. Three different origins are taken into account simultaneously for each asymmetry: the $g_T D_1$ term, the $e_T H_1^\perp$ term, and the $e_T^\perp H_1^\perp$ term in the $\cos\phi_S$ asymmetry; and the $g_T^\perp D_1$ term, the $e_T H_1^\perp$ term, and the $e_T^\perp H_1^\perp$ term in the $\cos(2\phi_h -\phi_S)$ asymmetry. We calculate the four twist-3 distributions $g_T(x,\boldsymbol{k}_T^2)$, $g_T^\perp(x,\boldsymbol{k}_T^2)$, $e_T(x,\boldsymbol{k}_T^2)$, and $e_T^\perp(x,\boldsymbol{k}_T^2)$ in a spectator-diquark model including vector diquarks. Then we predict the two corresponding asymmetries for charged and neutral pions at the kinematics of HERMES, JLab, and COMPASS for the first time. The numerical estimates indicate that the two different angular-dependence asymmetries are sizable by several percent at HERMES and JLab, and the $\cos\phi_S$ asymmetry has a strong dependence on the Bjorken $x$. Our predictions also show that the dominant contribution to the $\cos\phi_S$ asymmetry comes from the $g_T D_1$ term, while the $g_T^\perp D_1$ term gives the main contribution to the $\cos(2\phi_h -\phi_S)$ asymmetry; the other two $T$-odd terms almost give negligible contributions. In particular, the $\cos(2\phi_h -\phi_S)$ asymmetry provides a unique opportunity to probe the distribution $g_T^\perp$.