Quark-gluon Correlation Functions Research Articles

Parton Energy Loss in the Generalized High-Twist Approach

We calculate the radiative parton energy loss in the deeply inelastic scattering (DIS) off a large nucleus within a generalized high-twist approach. The final gluon radiation spectrum is a convolution of the hard partonic part and the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) quark-gluon correlation function, without the twist expansion in the transverse momentum of the initial gluons used in original high twist approach. The TMD quark-gluon correlation function can be factorized approximately as the product of initial quark distribution and TMD gluon distribution which can be used to define the generalized or TMD jet transport coefficient. The radiation spectrum will recover the Gylassy-Levai-Vitev (GLV) result in the first order of the opacity expansion, under the static scattering center and soft gluon radiation approximation. We also investigate numerically the difference as a result of the soft gluon radiation approximation, under the static scattering center approximation.

Transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering at next-to-leading order

Within the framework of higher-twist collinear factorization, transverse momentum broadening for the final hadrons in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic $e+A$ collisions is studied at the next-to-leading order (NLO) in perturbative QCD. Through explicit calculations of real and virtual corrections at twist-4, the transverse-momentum-weighted differential cross section due to double scattering is shown to factorize at NLO and can be expressed as a convolution of twist-4 nuclear parton correlation functions, the usual twist-2 fragmentation functions and hard parts which are finite and free of any divergences. A QCD evolution equation is also derived for the renormalized twist-4 quark-gluon correlation function which can be applied to future phenomenological studies of transverse momentum broadening and jet quenching at NLO.

Recent developments in NLO corrections to in-medium jets

We present some recent progress in studying the jet quenching phenomena. In the first part of the talk, we study how to improve the standard energy loss picture by going beyond the “soft-gluon” (small-x) approximation and formulating the multi-gluon emission through the usual DGLAP evolution equations in the nuclear medium. We demonstrate that the numerical results based on such an approach describe well the suppression of single hadron production in A+A collisions at the LHC. In the second part of the talk, we present how to study the next-to-leading order corrections to the energy loss formalism. In particular, we compute the full next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the transverse momentum broadening in both e+A and p+A collisions, from which we identify a QCD evolution equation for the related quark-gluon correlation function, in turn, the QCD evolution of jet transport parameter qˆ.

Higher-twist contributions to the transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering off large nuclei

Multiple scattering leads to transverse momentum broadening of the struck quark in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic scatterings (SIDIS). Nuclear broadening of the transverse momentum squared at the leading twist is determined by the twist-four collinear quark-gluon correlation function of the target nucleus that is in turn related to the jet transport parameter inside the nuclear medium. The twist-six contributions to the transverse momentum broadening are calculated as power corrections $\sim 1/Q^2$. Such power corrections are found to have no extra nuclear enhancement beyond the twist-four matrix elements and are determined by the nuclear modification of collinear parton distribution and correlation functions. They become important for an accurate extraction of the jet transport parameter inside large nuclei and its scale evolution at intermediate values of the hard scale $Q^2$.

QCD Evolution of Nuclear Quark-Gluon Correlation Function

We summarize the results on the next-to-leading order (NLO) calculations of transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic e + A scattering (SIDIS) and Drell-Yan dilepton production (DY) in p + A collisions. The corresponding transverse momentum weighted differential cross sections are shown to factorize at NLO. Our calculations identify the QCD evolution equation for the quark-gluon correlation function, and also confirm the universality of the associated quark-gluon correlation function in SIDIS and DY. The evolution equation can be further applied to determine the QCD factorization scale and the energy dependence of the jet transport parameter [Formula: see text].

Transverse momentum broadening at NLO and QCD evolution of qˆ

Within the framework of a high-twist approach, we show the first complete next-to-leading order calculation of transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic $e+A$ scattering and Drell-Yan dilepton production in $p+A$ collisions. We demonstrate at one-loop level how QCD factorization holds for multiple scattering in nuclear medium, and the university of the associated quark-gluon correlation function. Our calculation also identifies QCD evolution equation for the quark-gluon correlation function, which determines the QCD factorization scale and energy dependence of jet transport parameter $\hat q$.

Next-to-Leading Order QCD Factorization for Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering at Twist 4

Within the framework of a high-twist approach, we calculate the next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD corrections to the transverse momentum broadening in semi-inclusive hadron production in deeply inelastic e+A collisions, as well as lepton pair production in p+A collisions. With explicit calculations of both real and virtual contributions, we verify, for the first time, the factorization theorem at twist 4 in NLO for the nuclear-enhanced transverse momentum weighted differential cross section and demonstrate the universality of the associated twist-4 quark-gluon correlation function. We also identify the QCD evolution equation for the twist-4 quark-gluon correlation function in a large nucleus, which can be solved to determine the scale dependence of the jet transport parameter in the study of jet quenching.

ESTIMATING THE SIGN AND SIZE OF THE TRANSVERSE SINGLE TARGET-SPIN ASYMMETRY IN INCLUSIVE DIS

The single-spin asymmetry of unpolarized leptons scattering deep-inelastically off transversely polarized nucleons is discussed. This observable is generated by a two-photon exchange between lepton and nucleon. In a partonic description of the asymmetry the non-perturbative part is given in terms of multiparton correlations: quark-gluon correlation functions and quark-photon correlation functions. Using input from models and data fits for these twist-3 correlation functions, estimates for the single-spin asymmetries for a proton and a neutron are presented.

TRANSVERSE MOMENTUM-WEIGHTED SIVERS ASYMMETRY IN SEMI-INCLUSIVE DEEP INELASTIC SCATTERING AT NEXT-TO-LEADING ORDER

We summarize the results of a recent study of next-to-leading order perturbative QCD corrections to the transverse momentum-weighted Sivers asymmetry in semi-inclusive hadron production in lepton-proton deep inelastic scattering. The corresponding differential cross section is evaluated as a convolution of a twist-three quark-gluon correlation function, often referred to as Qiu-Sterman function, the usual unpolarized fragmentation function, and a hard coefficient function. By studying the collinear divergence structure, we identify the evolution kernel for the Qiu-Sterman function. The hard coefficient function, which is finite and free of any divergence, is evaluated at one-loop order.

Transverse momentum-weighted Sivers asymmetry in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering at next-to-leading order

We study the next-to-leading order perturbative QCD corrections to the transverse momentum-weighted Sivers asymmetry in semi-inclusive hadron production in lepton-proton deep inelastic scattering. The corresponding differential cross section is evaluated as a convolution of a twist-three quark-gluon correlation function, often referred to as Qiu-Sterman function, the usual unpolarized fragmentation function, and a hard coefficient function. By studying the collinear divergence structure, we identify the evolution kernel for the Qiu-Sterman function. The hard coefficient function, which is finite and free of any divergence, is evaluated at one-loop order.

Single transverse spin asymmetry of prompt photon production

We study the single transverse spin asymmetry of prompt photon production in high energy proton–proton scattering. We include the contributions from both the direct and fragmentation photons. While the asymmetry for direct photon production receives only the Sivers type of contribution, the asymmetry for fragmentation photons receives both the Sivers and Collins types of contributions. We make a model calculation for quark-to-photon Collins function, which is then used to estimate the Collins asymmetry for fragmentation photons. We find that the Collins asymmetry for fragmentation photons is very small, thus the single transverse spin asymmetry of prompt photon production is mainly coming from the Sivers asymmetry in direct and fragmentation photons. We make predictions for the prompt photon spin asymmetry at RHIC energy, and emphasize the importance of such a measurement. The asymmetry of prompt photon production can provide a good measurement for the important twist-three quark–gluon correlation function, which is urgently needed in order to resolve the “sign mismatch” puzzle.

QCD evolution of naive-time-reversal-odd parton distribution functions

We reexamine the derivation of the leading order QCD evolution equations of twist-3 quark–gluon correlation functions, Tq,F(x,x) and Tq,F(σ)(x,x), which are the first transverse-momentum-moment of the naive-time-reversal-odd parton distribution functions – the Sivers and Boer–Mulders function, respectively. The evolution equations were derived by several groups with apparent differences. We identify the sources that are responsible for the differences, and are able to reconcile the results from various groups.

Three-gluon contribution to the single spin asymmetry in Drell-Yan and direct-photon processes

We derive the single-spin-dependent cross section for the Drell-Yan lepton-pair production and the direct-photon production in the $pp$-collision induced by the twist-3 three-gluon correlation functions in the transversely polarized nucleon in the leading order with respect to the QCD coupling constant. Combined with the contribution from the twist-3 quark-gluon correlation functions in the literature, this completes the twist-3 cross section for these processes. We also present a model calculation of the asymmetry for the direct photon production at the RHIC energy, demonstrating the sensitivity of the asymmetry to the form of the three-gluon correlation functions. In particular, we show that the asymmetry in the backward direction of the polarized nucleon is determined by the small-$x$ behavior of the correlation functions.

QCD EVOLUTION OF NAIVE-TIME-REVERSAL-ODD QUARK-GLUON CORRELATION FUNCTIONS

In this talk, we examine the existing calculations of QCD evolution kernels for the scale dependence of two sets of twist-3 quark-gluon correlation functions, Tq,F(x, x) and [Formula: see text], which are the first transverse-momentum-moment of the naive-time-reversal-odd Sivers and Boer-Mulders function, respectively. The evolution kernels at the leading order in strong coupling constant αs were derived by several groups with apparent differences. We identify the sources of discrepancies and are able to reconcile the results from various groups.

Exploring the structure of the proton through polarization observables inlp→jetX

We present results for a complete set of polarization observables for jet production in lepton proton collision, where the final state lepton is not observed. The calculations are carried out in collinear factorization at the level of Born diagrams. For all the observables we also provide numerical estimates for typical kinematics of a potential future Electron Ion Collider. On the basis of this numerical study, the prospects for the transverse single target spin asymmetry are particularly promising. This observable is given by a certain quark-gluon correlation function, which has a direct relation to the transverse momentum dependent Sivers parton distribution.

Hard- and soft-fermion-pole contributions to single transverse-spin asymmetry for Drell–Yan process

We study the single transverse-spin asymmetry for the Drell–Yan lepton pair production based on the twist-3 mechanism in the collinear factorization. We calculate all the hard-pole (HP) and the soft-fermion-pole (SFP) contributions to the single-spin-dependent cross section originating from the quark–gluon correlation functions in the transversely polarized nucleon in the leading order with respect to the QCD coupling constant. Combined with the soft-gluon-pole (SGP) contribution, this completes the corresponding twist-3 cross section. In the real photon limit, where all the HP contributions are transformed into the SFP contribution, we find that the SFP partonic hard cross section for the two independent quark–gluon correlation functions coincides in each scattering channel, as in the case of the inclusive light-hadron production. Our result enables one to extract the quark–gluon correlation functions from the forthcoming experiments at several facilities such as RHIC and J-PARC.

A phenomenological study of single transverse-spin asymmetry for inclusive light-hadron productions at RHIC

We study the single transverse-spin asymmetry for inclusive light-hadron productions in the proton-proton collision, $\pphx$ ($h=\pi,K,\eta$), for the RHIC kinematics based on the twist-3 mechanism in the collinear factorization. The analysis includes all the contributions from the soft-gluon pole and the soft-fermion pole for the twist-3 quark-gluon correlation functions in the transversely polarized proton. After discussing the flavor decomposition and the $P_T$-dependence of the asymmetry obtained in the previous analysis at the center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{S}=62.4$ and 200 GeV, we will give a prediction for the asymmetry at $\sqrt{S}=500$ GeV and also for the $\eta$-meson production. We found slightly smaller asymmetry at $\sqrt{S}=500$ GeV for $\pi^{\pm,0}$ and $K^+$ compared with those at the lower energies. The asymmetry for the $\eta$-meson turned out to be significantly larger than that for $\pi^0$.

Master formula for the three-gluon contribution to single spin asymmetry in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering

We derive a ``master formula'' for the contribution of the three-gluon correlation function in the nucleon to the twist-3 single-spin-dependent cross section for semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering, $e{p}^{\ensuremath{\uparrow}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}eDX$. This is an extension of the similar formula known for the so-called soft-gluon-pole contribution induced by the quark-gluon correlation function in a variety of processes. Our master formula reduces the relevant interfering partonic subprocess with the participation of the three gluons to the Born cross sections for the ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{*}g\ensuremath{\rightarrow}c\overline{c}$ scattering, which reveals the new structure behind the twist-3 single spin asymmetry and simplifies the actual calculation greatly. A possible extension to higher order corrections is also discussed.

Observation concerning the process dependence of the Sivers functions

The $k_\perp$-moment of a quark's Sivers function is known to be related to the corresponding twist-three quark-gluon correlation function $T_{q,F}(x, x)$. The two functions have been extracted from data for single-spin asymmetries in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and in single-inclusive hadron production in $pp$ collisions, respectively. Performing a consistent comparison of the extracted functions, we find that they show a "sign mismatch": while the magnitude of the functions is roughly consistent, the $k_\perp$-moment of the Sivers function has opposite sign from that of $T_{q,F}(x, x)$, both for up and for down quarks. Barring any inconsistencies in our theoretical understanding of the Sivers functions and their process dependence, the implication of this mismatch is that either, the Sivers effect is not dominantly responsible for the observed single-spin asymmetries in $pp$ collisions or, the current semi-inclusive lepton scattering data do not sufficiently constrain the $k_\perp$-moment of the quark Sivers functions. Both possibilities strengthen the case for further experimental investigations of single-spin asymmetries in high-energy $pp$ and $ep$ scattering.

A new twist-3 analysis of the single transverse-spin asymmetry for pion and kaon production at RHIC

We present a new analysis for the single-transverse spin asymmetry (SSA) for the inclusive pion and kaon productions in the proton-proton collisions measured at RHIC. The framework we use is the collinear factorization in which SSA appears as a twist-3 observable resulting from the multiparton correlations in the hadrons. As a relevant multiparton correlation, we include all the contributions associated with the quark-gluon correlation functions in the transversely polarized proton, i.e., those from the soft-gluon-pole (SGP) and the soft-fermion-pole (SFP). We have found that the SGP contribution alone is insufficient to describe the observed RHIC AN data and the inclusion of the SFP contribution plays an important role for the improved description of the data. In particular, PT-dependence of AN and AN for K− have been well described in our new analysis.