Can the total angular momentum of u-quarks in the nucleon be accessed at HERMES?

Abstract

We investigate the possibility to acquire information on the generalized parton distribution E and, through a model for E, also on the u-quark total angular momentum J_u by studying deeply virtual Compton scattering and hard exclusive rho0 electroproduction on a transversely polarized hydrogen target at HERMES. It is found that a change in J_u from zero to 0.4 corresponds to a 4\sigma (2\sigma) difference in the calculated transverse target-spin asymmetry in deeply virtual Compton scattering (rho0 electroproduction), where \sigma is the total experimental uncertainty.

Comments: 10 pages, 9 figures