Index
We discuss our studies of polarized parton distributions which are related to the RHIC-Spin project. First, the parametrization of unpolarized parton distributions is explained as an introduction to general audience. Second, activities of the RHIC-Spin-J working group are reported. In particular, preliminary results are shown on the parametrization of polarized parton distributions. Third, we discuss numerical solution of the DGLAP $Q^2$ evolution equations for longitudinally polarized and transversity distributions. An efficient and accurate computer program is important for analyzing future RHIC experimental data.
Nuclear parton distributions are studied in a parton model with rescaling and recombination mechanisms. Parton x distributions are first calculated at Q^2=1 GeV^2 by the model, and they are evolved to larger Q^2 in order to be compared with various F_2 data. The experimental shadowing is explained by the parton-recombination effects. Then, the modification of sea-quark and gluon distributions is investigated. We show x and Q^2 dependent results of the ratios S_A/S_D and G_A/G_D. They indicate significant shadowing at small x and large ratios in the medium-x region. Our theoretical results should be tested by future experiments, for example, at RHIC (Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider). Furthermore, our studies are important for finding a signature of the quark-gluon plasma in heavy-ion reactions. We also indicate that nuclear effects in the deuteron should be taken into account for finding the accurate F_2 structure function of the neutron.
We discuss polarized parton distributions and their effects on spin asymmetries at RHIC. In particular, transversity distributions and transverse spin asymmetry are studied. First, we show the $Q^2$ evolution difference between a transversity distribution and a corresponding longitudinally polarized distribution. The difference could be an important test of perturbative QCD in high-energy spin physics. Then, the transverse spin asymmetry $A_{TT}$ is calculated with possible transversity distributions. Next, we study antiquark flavor asymmetry $\Delta_{_T} \bar u/ \Delta_{_T} \bar d$ in the transversity distributions by using a simple model. Its effects on the transverse spin asymmetry are also discussed.
We discuss the studies on structure functions at the possible future RCNP facility. At this stage, an electron-proton or proton-proton collider with sqrt{s}=5 - 10 GeV is considered. We explain large-x physics, nuclear modification of sea-quark and gluon distributions, and tensor spin structure function as the interesting topics at the facility. The large-x parton distributions are important for finding new physics beyond QCD in anomalous events such as the CDF jet data. The nuclear parton distributions are valuable in detecting a quark-gluon signature in heavy-ion reactions. The tensor structure function b_1 is a new field of high-energy spin physics. Considering these physics possibilities, we believe that the possible RCNP facility is important for the hadron-structure community.
We discuss general formalism for the structure functions which can be investigated in the polarized Drell-Yan processes with spin-1/2 and spin-1 hadrons. To be specific, the formalism can be applied to the proton-deuteron Drell-Yan processes. Because of the spin-1 nature, there are new structure functions which cannot be studied in the proton-proton reactions. Imposing Hermiticity, parity conservation, and time-reversal invariance, we find that 108 structure functions exist in the Drell-Yan processes. However, the number reduces to 22 after integrating the cross section over the virtual-photon transverse momentum Q_T or after taking the limit Q_T->0. There are 11 new structure functions in addition to the 11 ones in the Drell-Yan processes of spin-1/2 hadrons. The additional structure functions are associated with the tensor structure of the spin-1 hadron, and they could be measured by quadrupole spin asymmetries. For example, the structure functions exist for "intermediate" polarization although their contributions vanish in the longitudinal and transverse polarization reactions. We show a number of spin asymmetries for extracting the polarized structure functions. The proton-deuteron reaction may be realized in the RHIC-Spin project and other future ones, and it could be a new direction of next generation high-energy spin physics.
We discuss transversity distributions and transverse spin asymmetries. First, Q^2 evolution results are shown for transversity and longitudinally polarized distributions. Second, the antiquark flavor asymmetry \Delta_T \bar{u}/\Delta_T \bar{d} is discussed in two different descriptions, a meson-cloud model and an exclusion model. Both calculations produce a significant \Delta_T \bar{d} excess over \Delta_T \bar{u}. Third, we explain general formalism of the polarized proton-deuteron Drell-Yan processes. This study is partly intended to find the asymmetry \Delta_T \bar{u}/\Delta_T \bar{d} by the p-d asymmetry. However, the existence of tensor structure in the deuteron produces a number of new structure functions. There exist 108 structure functions and 22 ones even after integrating the cross section over the virtual-photon transverse momentum \vec Q_T.