Transverse force distributions in the proton from lattice QCD

Abstract

Single-spin asymmetries observed in polarised deep-inelastic scattering are important probes of hadron structure. The Sivers asymmetry has been the focus of much attention in QCD phenomenology and is yet to be understood at the quark level. In this Letter, we present a lattice QCD calculation of the spatial distribution of a colour-Lorentz force acting on the struck quark in a proton. We determine a spin-independent confining force, as well as spin-dependent force distributions with local forces on the order of 3 GeV/fm. These distributions offer a complementary picture of the Sivers asymmetry in transversely polarised deep-inelastic scattering.

Comments: 20 pages, 21 figures. Version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett