UCLA

The transversity distribution, $h_1(x)$, of a transversely polarized proton describes the probability of partons with polarization parallel to the parent proton, carrying a momentum fraction $x$ of the parent proton. This distribution is fundamental for our understanding of the proton spin structure but still very much unknown for values of $x$ larger than about 0.15.

We study transversely spin-polarized proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=200$ GeV from STAR, because polarized p+p collisions at RHIC can access this $x$ region and, with a higher scale and transverse momentum, probe a different kinematic regime than SIDIS. We find sizable spin asymmetries in di-hadron correlations, which can be used to directly probe the transversity distribution of quarks inside protons because they arise from a transversely spin polarized quark fragmenting into two hadrons by the Interference Fragmentation Function.