Longitudinal Spin Physics at RHIC and a Future eRHIC

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent RHIC spin physics results, especially gluon and sea quark polarization, discusses their impact on global fits, and explores future constraints with the proposed eRHIC facility.

Contribution

It provides an overview of recent experimental findings and analyzes their implications for the proton's spin structure, including potential future measurements at eRHIC.

Findings

Gluon polarization contributes significantly to proton spin.

Recent data influence global fits like DSSV and NNPDF.

Future eRHIC measurements could further constrain spin structure.

Abstract

Recent highlights from the spin program at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), focusing on the gluon contribution to the proton spin and the polarization of the light flavor sea, are presented. The impact of these data on recent global fits by the DSSV and NNPDF groups is also discussed. Finally, this note examines the constraints on the longitudinal spin structure of the proton which would be possible with a proposed eRHIC facility.