Evolution of Gluon Spin in the Nucleon

Abstract

We examine the $Q^2$ evolution of gluon polarization in polarized nucleons. As is well known, the evolution of ${\alpha }_s\Delta G(Q^2)$ is negligible for typical momentum transfer variations found in experimental deep inelastic scattering. As ${\alpha }_s$ increases, however, the leading nonzero term in the evolution equation for the singlet first moment reduces the magnitude of the gluon spin. At low $Q^2$ the term ${\alpha }_s\Delta G$ can vanish, and ultimately become negative. Thus, low energy model calculations yielding negative $\Delta G$ are not necessarily in conflict with experimental evidence for positive gluon polarization at high $Q^2$.

Comments: ReVTeX + psfig, 7 pages, 3 figures (postscript), accepted in Physics Letters B, (pollock@lucky.colorado.edu)