Global tensor polarization of spin $3/2$ hadrons and quark spin correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the global tensor polarization of spin-3/2 hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions reveals information about local quark spin correlations within the quark-gluon plasma, providing a new probe of quark matter properties.

Contribution

It establishes a theoretical link between measurable tensor polarizations of spin-3/2 hadrons and underlying quark spin correlations in the quark-gluon plasma.

Findings

Tensor polarizations are sensitive to quark spin correlations.

Relationships between tensor polarization and quark spin correlations are derived.

Tensor polarization measurements can probe quark matter properties.

Abstract

We study the global polarization of spin-$3/2$ hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. We show in particular that the global tensor polarizations of rank two or three for spin-$3/2$ hadrons are sensitive to the local two or three quark spin correlations respectively in the quark gluon plasma produced in the collision processes. We present the relationships between these measurable tensor polarizations and quark spin correlations in the quark matter system.