Next-to-leading order QCD corrections to high-p_T pion production in longitudinally polarized pp collisions

Abstract

We present a calculation for single-inclusive large-p_T pion production in longitudinally polarized pp collisions in next-to-leading order QCD. We choose an approach where fully analytical expressions for the underlying partonic hard-scattering cross sections are obtained. We simultaneously rederive the corresponding corrections to unpolarized scattering and confirm the results existing in the literature. Our results allow to calculate the double-spin asymmetry A_LL^pi for this process at next-to-leading order, which will soon be used at BNL-RHIC to measure the polarization of gluons in the nucleon.

Comments: 23 pages, LaTeX, 6 figures as eps files