The analyzing power AN of proton-proton elastic scattering in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region has been measured using the 200-GeV/c Fermilab polarized proton beam. A theoretically predicted interference between the hadronic non-spin-flip amplitude and the electromagnetic spin-flip amplitude is shown for the first time to be present at high energies in the region of 1.5 × 10−3 to 5.0 × 10−2 (GeV/c)2 four-momentum transfer squared, and our results are analyzed in connection with theoretical calculations. In addition, the role of possible contributions of the hadronic spin-flip amplitude is discussed.
The considerable polarization of hyperons produced at high xF has been known for a long time and has been interpreted with various theoretical models in terms of the constituents' spin. Recently, the analyzing power in inclusive Λ0 hyperon production has also been measured using the 200GeV/c Fermilab polarized proton beam. The covered kinematic range is 0.2≤xF≤1.0 and 0.1≤pT≤1.5GeV/c. The data indicate a negative asymmetry at large xF and moderate pT. These results can further test the current ideas on the underlying mechanisms for hyperon polarization.
The analyzing power A N of proton-proton, proton-hydrocarbon, and antiproton-hydrocarbon, scattering in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region has been measured using thhe 185 GeV/ c Fermilab polarized-proton and -antiproton beams. The results are found to be consistent with theoretical predictions within statistical uncertainties.
Surprisingly large polarizations in hyperon production by unpolarized protons have been known for a long time. The spin dynamics of the production process can be further investigated with polarized beams. Recently, a negative asymmetry AN was found in inclusive Λ0 production with a 200GeV/c transversely polarized proton beam. The depolarization DNN in p↑+p→Λ0+X has been measured with the same beam over a wide xF range and at moderate pT. DNN reaches positive values of about 30% at high xF and pT∼1.0GeV/c. This result shows a sizable spin transfer from the incident polarized proton to the outgoing Λ0.
The analyzing power AN in inclusive π− and π+ production has been measured with a 200 GeV/c transversely polarized antiproton beam over a wide xF range (0.2≤xF≤0.9) and at moderate pT (0.2≤pT≤1.5GeV/c). The asymmetry AN increases with increasing xF from zero to large positive values for π−'s, and decreases from zero to large negative values for π+'s. A threshold for the onset of the asymmetry is observed about pT∼0.5GeV/c, below which AN is essentially zero and above which AN increases (decreases) with pT for π−'s ( π+'s) in the covered pT range.
A measurement of the single-spin asymmetry A N in p↑ + p→ π 0 + X at 200 GeV with x F = 0 shows a transition in the production process from a “ low -x T ” regime with A N = 0, through an intermediate region of negative asymmetry, to a “ high -x T ” regime with A N > 0.3. This transition occurs at x T ≈ 0.4 and is consistent with x T -scaling of A N in pion production using polarized beams or targets from √− s =5.2 to 19.4 GeV. Results for A N in η production by polarized protons and in π 0 production by polarized antiprotons are also presented.
An analysis of the decay $\Lambda_b \to J/\psi(\to\mu^+\mu^-)\Lambda(\to p \pi^-)$ decay is performed to measure the $\Lambda_b$ polarization and three angular parameters in data from pp collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 7 and 8 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC. The $\Lambda_b$ polarization is measured to be 0.00 $\pm$ 0.06 (stat) $\pm$ 0.06 (syst) and the parity-violating asymmetry parameter is determined to be 0.14 $\pm$ 0.14 (stat) $\pm$ 0.10 (syst). The measurements are compared to various theoretical predictions, including those from perturbative quantum chromodynamics.
The polarizations of prompt and non-prompt J$/\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) mesons are measured in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}$ = 13 TeV, using data samples collected by the CMS experiment in 2017 and 2018, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 103.3 fb$^{-1}$. Based on the analysis of the dimuon decay angular distributions in the helicity frame, the polar anisotropy, $\lambda_\theta$, is measured as a function of the transverse momentum, $p_\mathrm{T}$, of the charmonium states, in the 25-120 and 20-100 GeV ranges for the J$/\psi$ and $\psi$(2S), respectively. The non-prompt polarizations agree with predictions based on the hypothesis that, for $p_\mathrm{T}$$\gtrsim$ 25 GeV, the non-prompt J$/\psi$ and $\psi$(2S) are predominantly produced in two-body B meson decays. The prompt results clearly exclude strong transverse polarizations, even for $p_\mathrm{T}$ exceeding 30 times the J$/\psi$ mass, where $\lambda_\theta$ tends to an asymptotic value around 0.3. Taken together with previous measurements, by CMS and LHCb at $\sqrt{s}$ = 7 TeV, the prompt polarizations show a significant variation with $p_\mathrm{T}$, at low $p_\mathrm{T}$.
A measurement is presented of differential cross sections for $t$-channel single top quark and antiquark production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC. From a data set corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb$^{-1}$, events containing one muon or electron and two or three jets are analysed. The cross section is measured as a function of the top quark transverse momentum ($p_\mathrm{T}$), rapidity, and polarisation angle, the charged lepton $p_\mathrm{T}$ and rapidity, and the $p_\mathrm{T}$ of the W boson from the top quark decay. In addition, the charge ratio is measured differentially as a function of the top quark, charged lepton, and W boson kinematic observables. The results are found to be in agreement with standard model predictions using various next-to-leading-order event generators and sets of parton distribution functions. Additionally, the spin asymmetry, sensitive to the top quark polarisation, is determined from the differential distribution of the polarisation angle at parton level to be 0.440 $\pm$ 0.070, in agreement with the standard model prediction.
The analyzing power in inclusive charged pion production has been measured using the 200 GeV Fermilab polarized proton beam. A striking dependence in x F is observed in which A N increases from 0 to 0.42 with increasing x F for the π + data and decreases from 0 to −0.38 with increasing x F for π − data. The kinematic range covered is 0.2⩽ x F ⩽0.9 and 0.2⩽ p T ⩽2.0 GeV / c . In a simple model our data indicate that at large x F the transverse spin of the proton is correlated with that of its quark constituents.