Spin dependent fragmentatation functions at Belle

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of spin-dependent fragmentation functions, specifically the Collins function, using Belle data, providing insights into the nucleon's spin structure through observed azimuthal asymmetries.

Contribution

First measurement of azimuthal asymmetries related to spin-dependent fragmentation functions at Belle, advancing understanding of nucleon spin structure.

Findings

Significant nonzero azimuthal asymmetries observed

Evidence supporting the role of Collins fragmentation function

Enhanced understanding of spin effects in hadronization

Abstract

Spin dependent fragmentation functions are an important tool to understand the spin structure of the nucleon. The Collins fragmentation function for example describes the fragmentation of a transversely polarized quark into a hadron via the creation of additional transverse momentum relative to the quark's momentum. The Belle experiment has measured the resulting azimuthal asymmetries in a data sample of 29 fb-1 and found significant nonzero results.