Single Spin Asymmetry of Vector Meson Production as a Probe of Asymmetry of Parton Scattering

Abstract

Azimuthal asymmetry of vector-meson production in single-transversely polarized proton-proton collisions ($p\text{up}p$) is calculated in the string model of particle production. The asymmetry is generated only during fragmentation of a high-energy quark into hadrons. The obtained asymmetry of the ${\rho }^{\pm }$ is opposite in sign to that of ${\pi }^{\pm }$ mesons. On the other hand, an asymmetry appearing during parton scattering would contribute with the same sign to that of vector and pseudoscalar mesons. Thus, a combined measurement of both can be used to estimate the contribution to the asymmetry from parton scattering.

Comments: plain TeX, 6 pages (revised version, 2 corrected figures added in a compressed uuencoded PostScript file), HEN-377 (1994)