Single-spin asymmetries for pions and charged kaons are measured in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of positrons and electrons off a transversely nuclear-polarized hydrogen target. The ...dependence of the cross section on the azimuthal angles of the target polarization (ϕS) and the produced hadron (ϕ) is found to have a substantial sin(ϕ+ϕS) modulation for the production of π+, π− and K+. This Fourier component can be interpreted in terms of non-zero transversity distribution functions and non-zero favored and disfavored Collins fragmentation functions with opposite sign. For π0 and K− production the amplitude of this Fourier component is consistent with zero.
.
The spin-exchange collision cross-section for hydrogen atoms has been measured for the first time in the low temperature range 40–100 K by using the polarized hydrogen gas target of the HERMES ...experiment at DESY (Hamburg, Germany). The results agree with a previous measurement in the overlapping temperature region 80–100 K, while seem to hint an increasing behaviour with temperature in the region 50–80 K.
Single-spin asymmetries were investigated in inclusive electroproduction of charged pions and kaons from transversely polarized protons at the Hermes experiment. The asymmetries were studied as a ...function of the azimuthal angle ψ about the beam direction between the target-spin direction and the hadron production plane, the transverse hadron momentum PT relative to the direction of the incident beam, and the Feynman variable xF. The sinψ amplitudes are positive for π+ and K+, slightly negative for π− and consistent with zero for K−, with particular PT but weak xF dependences. Especially large asymmetries are observed for two small subsamples of events, where also the scattered electron was recorded by the spectrometer.
A
bstract
Beam-helicity and beam-charge asymmetries in the hard exclusive leptoproduction of real photons from an unpolarised hydrogen target by a 27.6 GeV lepton beam are extracted from the H
ermes
...data set of 2006-2007 using a missing-mass event selection technique. The asymmetry amplitudes extracted from this data set are more precise than those extracted from the earlier data set of 1996-2005 previously analysed in the same manner by H
ermes
. The results from the two data sets are compatible with each other. Results from these combined data sets are extracted and constitute the most precise asymmetry amplitude measurements made in the H
ermes
kinematic region using a missing-mass event selection technique.
The momentum and helicity density distributions of the strange quark sea in the nucleon are obtained in leading order from charged-kaon production in deep-inelastic scattering on the deuteron. The ...distributions are extracted from spin-averaged K± multiplicities, and from K± and inclusive double-spin asymmetries for scattering of polarized positrons by a polarized deuterium target. The shape of the momentum distribution is softer than that of the average of the u¯ and d¯ quarks. In the region of measurement 0.02<x<0.6 and Q2>1.0 GeV2, the helicity distribution is zero within experimental uncertainties.
Double-spin asymmetries in exclusive electroproduction of real photons from a transversely polarized hydrogen target are measured with respect to the product of target polarization with beam helicity ...and beam charge, and with respect to the product of target polarization with beam helicity alone. The asymmetries arise from the deeply virtual Compton scattering process and its interference with the Bethe–Heitler process. They are related to the real part of the same combination of Compton form factors as that determining the previously published transverse target single-spin asymmetries through the imaginary part. The results for the double-spin asymmetries are found to be compatible with zero within the uncertainties of the measurement, and are not incompatible with the predictions of the only available GPD-based calculation.
Exclusive electroproduction of
ω
mesons on unpolarized hydrogen and deuterium targets is studied in the kinematic region of
Q
2
>
1.0
GeV
2
, 3.0 GeV
<
W
<
6.3 GeV, and
-
t
′
<
0.2
GeV
2
. ...Results on the angular distribution of the
ω
meson, including its decay products, are presented. The data were accumulated with the HERMES forward spectrometer during the 1996–2007 running period using the 27.6 GeV longitudinally polarized electron or positron beam of HERA. The determination of the virtual-photon longitudinal-to-transverse cross-section ratio reveals that a considerable part of the cross section arises from transversely polarized photons. Spin density matrix elements are presented in projections of
Q
2
or
-
t
′
. Violation of
s
-channel helicity conservation is observed for some of these elements. A sizable contribution from unnatural-parity-exchange amplitudes is found and the phase shift between those amplitudes that describe transverse
ω
production by longitudinal and transverse virtual photons,
γ
L
∗
→
ω
T
and
γ
T
∗
→
ω
T
, is determined for the first time. A hierarchy of helicity amplitudes is established, which mainly means that the unnatural-parity-exchange amplitude describing the
γ
T
∗
→
ω
T
transition dominates over the two natural-parity-exchange amplitudes describing the
γ
L
∗
→
ω
L
and
γ
T
∗
→
ω
T
transitions, with the latter two being of similar magnitude. Good agreement is found between the HERMES proton data and results of a pQCD-inspired phenomenological model that includes pion-pole contributions, which are of unnatural parity.
A
bstract
The beam-helicity asymmetry in exclusive electroproduction of real photons by the longitudinally polarized Hera positron beam scattering off an unpolarized hydrogen target is measured at ...Hermes. The asymmetry arises from deeply virtual Compton scattering and its interference with the Bethe-Heitler process. Azimuthal amplitudes of the beam-helicity asymmetry are extracted from a data sample consisting of
ep
→
epγ
events with detection of all particles in the final state including the recoiling proton. The installation of a recoil detector, while reducing the acceptance of the experiment, allows the elimination of background from
ep
→
eN πγ
events, which was estimated to contribute an average of about 12% to the signal in previous Hermes publications. The removal of this background from the present data sample is shown to increase the magnitude of the leading asymmetry amplitude by 0
.
054 ± 0
.
016 to −0
.
328 ± 0
.
027 (stat
.
) ± 0
.
045 (syst
.
).
Exclusive electroproduction of π+ mesons was studied by scattering 27.6 GeV positrons or electrons off a transversely polarized hydrogen target. The single-spin azimuthal asymmetry with respect to ...target polarization was measured as a function of the Mandelstam variable t, the Bjorken scaling variable xB, and the virtuality Q2 of the exchanged photon. The extracted Fourier components of the asymmetry were found to be consistent with zero, except one that was found to be large and that involves interference of contributions from longitudinal and transverse virtual photons.