Chiral-Odd Fragmentation Functions in Single Pion Inclusive Electroproduction

Abstract

We consider a sub-leading twist chiral-odd pion fragmentation function and explore its contribution in single pion semi-inclusive electroproduction. We evaluate the single beam-spin azimuthal asymmetry $A_{LU}$ and the double spin asymmetry $A_{LT}$ in polarized electroproduction of pions from an unpolarized and transversely polarized nucleon respectively. The beam asymmetry is expressed as the product of chiral-odd, and $T$-odd and even distribution and fragmentation functions. The double spin asymmetry contains information on the quark's transversity distribution. In a quark diquark-spectator framework we estimate these asymmetries at $6\mathrm{GeV}$, $12\mathrm{GeV}$, and $27.5\mathrm{GeV}$ energies.

Comments: 10 pages, 4 eps figures, elsart.cls, typos corrected. To be published in Physics Letters B