Hyperon Polarization in Inclusive Hadronic Production

Abstract

A QCD formula for the polarization in the large-p_T \Lambda hyperon production in the unpolarized nucleon-nucleon collision at large x_F is derived. We focus on the mechanism in which the chiral-odd spin-independent twist-3 quark distribution E_F(x,x) becomes the source of the transversely polarized quarks fragmenting into the polarized \Lambda. A simple model estimate for that contribution shows the possibility that it gives rise to a sizable \Lambda polarization.

Comments: 5 pages in LaTex with 1 figure in EPS file. Proceedings of the talk presented at SPIN2000, Osaka, Oct. 16-21, 2000. Figures corrected