Abstract
Double spin asymmetries of the semi-inclusive cross sections for the production of charged hadrons have been measured by the HERMES experiment in deep-inelastic scattering of polarized positrons on polarized hydrogen and 3He targets, in the kinematic range 0.023<x<0.6, and 1 GeV2<Q2<10 GeV2. Polarized quark distributions are extracted as a function of x for up (u+ū) and down (d+d) flavors, as well as for valence and sea quarks. In the measured range, the up quark polarization is positive and the polarization of the down quarks is negative. The polarization of the sea is compatible with zero. The moments of the polarized quark distributions are compared to predictions based on SU(3)f symmetry and to a prediction from lattice QCD. New data taken on a polarized deuterium target together with the identification of charged kaons by a RICH detector will eventually enable the extraction of the strange quark polarization in the sea.
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