Presented are the first measurements of the transverse single-spin asymmetries ($A_N$) for neutral pions and eta mesons in $p$+Au and $p$+Al collisions at $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV in the pseudorapidity range $|\eta|<$0.35 with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The asymmetries are consistent with zero, similar to those for midrapidity neutral pions and eta mesons produced in $p$+$p$ collisions. These measurements show no evidence of additional effects that could potentially arise from the more complex partonic environment present in proton-nucleus collisions.
Data from Figure 2 (a) of the $\pi^{0}$ transverse single-spin asymmetry in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV $p^{\uparrow}+$Au and $p^{\uparrow}+$Al collisions as a function of $p_{T}$.
Data from Figure 2 (b) of the $\eta$ transverse single-spin asymmetry in $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=200$ GeV $p^{\uparrow}+$Au and $p^{\uparrow}+$Al collisions as a function of $p_{T}$.
In 2015, the PHENIX collaboration has measured single-spin asymmetries for charged pions in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at the center of mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV. The pions were detected at central rapidities of $|\eta|<0.35$. The single-spin asymmetries are consistent with zero for each charge individually, as well as consistent with the previously published neutral-pion asymmetries in the same rapidity range. However, they show a slight indication of charge-dependent differences which may suggest a flavor dependence in the underlying mechanisms that create these asymmetries.
Measured charged pion single spin asymmetries in p+p collisions as a function of pT
We report measurements of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry, $A_{LL}$, for inclusive jet and dijet production in polarized proton-proton collisions at midrapidity and center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}$ = 510 GeV, using the high luminosity data sample collected by the STAR experiment in 2013. These measurements complement and improve the precision of previous STAR measurements at the same center-of-mass energy that probe the polarized gluon distribution function at partonic momentum fraction 0.015 $\lesssim x \lesssim$ 0.25. The dijet asymmetries are separated into four jet-pair topologies, which provide further constraints on the $x$ dependence of the polarized gluon distribution function. These measurements are in agreement with previous STAR measurements and with predictions from current next-to-leading order global analyses. They provide more precise data at low dijet invariant mass that will better constraint the shape of the polarized gluon distribution function of the proton.
Parton jet $p_T$ vs $A_{LL}$ values with associated uncertainties.
Parton dijet $M_{inv}$ vs $A_{LL}$ values with associated uncertainties, for topology A.
Parton dijet $M_{inv}$ vs $A_{LL}$ values with associated uncertainties, for topology B.
In 2015 the PHENIX collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider recorded $p+p$, $p+$Al, and $p+$Au collision data at center of mass energies of $\sqrt{s_{_{NN}}}=200$ GeV with the proton beam(s) transversely polarized. At very forward rapidities $\eta>6.8$ relative to the polarized proton beam, neutrons were detected either inclusively or in (anti)correlation with detector activity related to hard collisions. The resulting single spin asymmetries, that were previously reported, have now been extracted as a function of the transverse momentum of the neutron as well as its longitudinal momentum fraction $x_F$. The explicit kinematic dependence, combined with the correlation information allows for a closer look at the interplay of different mechanisms suggested to describe these asymmetries, such as hadronic interactions or electromagnetic interactions in ultra-peripheral collisions, UPC. Events that are correlated with a hard collision indeed display a mostly negative asymmetry that increases in magnitude as a function of transverse momentum with only little dependence on $x_F$. In contrast, events that are not likely to have emerged from a hard collision display positive asymmetries for the nuclear collisions with a kinematic dependence that resembles that of a UPC based model. Because the UPC interaction depends strongly on the charge of the nucleus, those effects are very small for $p+p$ collisions, moderate for $p+$Al collisions, and large for $p+$Au collisions.
Measured forward neutron single spin asymmetries in p+p collisions as a function of pT in bins of xF
Measured forward neutron single spin asymmetries in p+Al collisions as a function of pT in bins of xF
Measured forward neutron single spin asymmetries in p+Au collisions as a function of pT in bins of xF
We report high-precision measurements of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry, $A_{LL}$, for midrapidity inclusive jet and dijet production in polarized $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=200\,\mathrm{GeV}$. The new inclusive jet data are sensitive to the gluon helicity distribution, $\Delta g(x,Q^2)$, for gluon momentum fractions in the range from $x \simeq 0.05$ to $x \simeq 0.5$, while the new dijet data provide further constraints on the $x$ dependence of $\Delta g(x,Q^2)$. The results are in good agreement with previous measurements at $\sqrt{s}=200\,\mathrm{GeV}$ and with recent theoretical evaluations of prior world data. Our new results have better precision and thus strengthen the evidence that $\Delta g(x,Q^2)$ is positive for $x > 0.05$.
Parton inclusive-jet $p_T$ and $A_{LL}$ values with associated uncertainties for jet-$\eta$ region $0.5<|\eta|<1$.
Parton inclusive-jet $p_T$ and $A_{LL}$ values with associated uncertainties for jet-$\eta$ region $|\eta|<0.5$.
Parton dijet invariant mass $M_{inv}$ and $A_{LL}$ values with associated uncertainties for the $\textrm{sign}(\eta_1) = \textrm{sign}(\eta_2)$ topology.
The W and Z boson production was measured via the muonic decay channel in proton-lead collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}} = 5.02$ TeV at the Large Hadron Collider with the ALICE detector. The measurement covers backward ($-4.46 < y_{\rm cms} < -2.96$) and forward ($2.03 < y_{\rm cms} < 3.53$) rapidity regions, corresponding to Pb-going and p-going directions, respectively. The Z-boson production cross section, with dimuon invariant mass of $60<m_{\mu\mu}<120$ GeV/$c^2$ and muon transverse momentum ($p_{\rm T}^\mu$) larger than 20 GeV/$c$, is measured. The production cross section and charge asymmetry of muons from W-boson decays with $p_{\rm T}^\mu>10$ GeV/$c$ are determined. The results are compared to theoretical calculations both with and without including the nuclear modification of the parton distribution functions. The W-boson production is also studied as a function of the collision centrality: the cross section of muons from W-boson decays is found to scale with the average number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions within uncertainties.
Lepton charge asymmetry of muons from W-boson decays at backward and forward rapidities measured in p-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}=5.02$ TeV. The first uncertainty is statistical, the second is systematic.
We report the first measurement of the longitudinal double-spin asymmetry $A_{LL}$ for mid-rapidity di-jet production in polarized $pp$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 200$ GeV. The di-jet cross section was measured and is shown to be consistent with next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD predictions. $A_{LL}$ results are presented for two distinct topologies, defined by the jet pseudorapidities, and are compared to predictions from several recent NLO global analyses. The measured asymmetries, the first such correlation measurements, support those analyses that find positive gluon polarization at the level of roughly 0.2 over the region of Bjorken-$x > 0.05$.
Di-jet A_LL asymmetry vs parton-level invariant mass for the same-sign di-jet topology. The systematic uncertainty on the mass includes contributions from jet energy scale, the correction to parton-level, and the difference between NLO and PYTHIA cross sections. The systematic uncertainty on the asymmetry includes contributions from trigger and reconstruction bias and residual transverse beam polarization components. A 6.5% uncertainty common to all points due to uncertainty on the measured beam polarizations is also present, but not included in the uncertainties quoted below.
Theoretical predictions for the di-jet A_LL asymmetry for the same-sign topology using the DSSV14 and NNPDFpol1.1 polarized PDF sets. The DSSV14 prediction is presented without uncertainty while the systematic uncertainty on the NNPDFpol1.1 prediction contains contributions from factorization and renormalization scale uncertainties and PDF uncertainties.
Di-jet A_LL asymmetry vs parton-level invariant mass for the opposite-sign di-jet topology. The systematic uncertainty on the mass includes contributions from jet energy scale, the correction to parton-level, and the difference between NLO and PYTHIA cross sections. The systematic uncertainty on the asymmetry includes contributions from trigger and reconstruction bias and residual transverse beam polarization components. A 6.5% uncertainty common to all points due to uncertainty on the measured beam polarizations is also present, but not included in the uncertainties quoted below.
We report the double helicity asymmetry, $A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$, in inclusive $J/\psi$ production at forward rapidity as a function of transverse momentum $p_T$ and rapidity $|y|$. The data analyzed were taken during $\sqrt{s}=510$ GeV longitudinally polarized $p
$A_{LL}^{J/\psi}$ as a function of $p_T$ or $|y|$. $N_{J/\psi}^{2\sigma}$ is the $J/\psi$ counting within its $2\sigma$ mass window. The column of Type A systematic uncertainties are a statistically weighted quadratic combination of the background fraction and run grouping uncertainties. $\Delta A_{LL}$ (Rel. Lumi.) is the global systematic uncertainty from relative luminosity measurements. $\Delta A_{LL}$ (Polarization) is the systematic uncertainty from the beam polarization measurement: a zero indicates an uncertainty $< 0.001$.
We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 500~\text{GeV}$ by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the non-universality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.
The amplitude of the transverse single-spin asymmetry for $W^{+-}$ boson production as a function of $P_T^W$, in the |$y^W$| < 1 region, measured by STAR in proton+proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=500$ GeV with a recorded luminosity of 25 $pb^{-1}$. The average boson's rapidity value for each $P_T^W$ bin is $y^W=0.0$.
The amplitude of the transverse single-spin asymmetry for $W^{+-}$ boson production as a function of $y^W$, in the 0.5 GeV/c < $P_T^W$ < 10 GeV/c region, measured by STAR in proton+proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=500$ GeV with a recorded luminosity of 25 $pb^{-1}$. The average boson's transverse-momentum value for each $y^W$-bin is $P_T^W=5.3$ GeV/c.
The amplitude of the transverse single-spin asymmetry for $Z^0$ boson production, measured by STAR in proton+proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=500$ GeV with a recorded luminosity of 25 $pb^{-1}$.
We present measurements of Collins asymmetries in the inclusive process $e^+e^- \rightarrow h_1 h_2 X$, $h_1h_2=KK,\, K\pi,\, \pi\pi$, at the center-of-mass energy of 10.6 GeV, using a data sample of 468 fb$^{-1}$ collected by the BaBar experiment at the PEP-II $B$ factory at SLAC National Accelerator Center. Considering hadrons in opposite thrust hemispheres of hadronic events, we observe clear azimuthal asymmetries in the ratio of unlike- to like-sign, and unlike- to all charged $h_1 h_2$ pairs, which increase with hadron energies. The $K\pi$ asymmetries are similar to those measured for the $\pi\pi$ pairs, whereas those measured for high-energy $KK$ pairs are, in general, larger.
Light quark ($uds$) Collins asymmetries obtained by fitting the U/L and U/C double ratios as a function of ($z_1$,$z_2$) for kaon pairs. In the first column, the $z$ bins and their respective mean values for the kaon in one hemisphere are reported; in the following column, the same variables for the second kaon are shown; in the third column the mean value of $\sin^2\theta_{th}/(1+\cos^2\theta_{th})$ is summarized, calculated in the RF12 frame; in the last two columns the asymmetry results are summarized. The mean values of the quantities reported in the table are calculated by summing the corresponding values for each $KK$ pair and dividing by the number of $KK$ pairs that fall into each ($z_1$,$z_2$) interval. Note that the $A^{UL}$ and $A^{UC}$ results are strongly correlated since they are obtained by using the same data set.
Light quark ($uds$) Collins asymmetries obtained by fitting the U/L and U/C double ratios as a function of ($z_1$,$z_2$) for kaon pairs. In the first column, the $z$ bins and their respective mean values for the kaon in one hemisphere are reported; in the following column, the same variables for the second kaon are shown; in the third column the mean value of $\sin^2\theta_{2}/(1+\cos^2\theta_{2})$ is summarized, calculated in the RF0 frame; in the last two columns the asymmetry results are summarized. The mean values of the quantities reported in the table are calculated by summing the corresponding values for each $KK$ pair and dividing by the number of $KK$ pairs that fall into each ($z_1$,$z_2$) interval. Note that the $A^{UL}$ and $A^{UC}$ results are strongly correlated since they are obtained by using the same data set.
Light quark ($uds$) Collins asymmetries obtained by fitting the U/L and U/C double ratios as a function of ($z_1$,$z_2$) for $K\pi$ hadron pairs. In the first column, the $z$ bins and their respective mean values for the hadron ($K$ or $\pi$) in one hemisphere are reported; in the following column, the same variables for the second hadron ($K$ or $\pi$) are shown; in the third column the mean value of $\sin^2\theta_{th}/(1+\cos^2\theta_{th})$ is summarized, calculated in the RF12 frame; in the last two columns the asymmetry results are summarized. The mean values of the quantities reported in the table are calculated by summing the corresponding values for each $K\pi$ pair and dividing by the number of $K\pi$ pairs that fall into each ($z_1$,$z_2$) interval. Note that the $A^{UL}$ and $A^{UC}$ results are strongly correlated since they are obtained by using the same data set.