Realistic estimate of valence transversity distributions from inclusive dihadron production

We present an updated extraction of the transversity parton distribution based on the analysis of pion-pair production in deep-inelastic scattering off transversely polarized targets in collinear factorization. Data for proton and deuteron targets make it possible to perform a flavor separation of the valence components of the transversity distribution, using di-hadron fragmentation functions taken from the semi-inclusive production of two pion pairs in back-to-back jets in e+e- annihilation. The e+e- data from Belle have been reanalyzed using the replica method and a more realistic estimate of the uncertainties on the chiral-odd interference fragmentation function has been obtained. Then, the transversity distribution has been extracted by using the most recent and more precise COMPASS data for deep-inelastic scattering off proton targets. Our results represent the most accurate estimate of the uncertainties on the valence components of the transversity distribution currently available.

Detecting correlated di-hadron pairs: about the extraction of transversity and beyond

We summarize the latest achievements about the extraction of the transversity parton distribution and proton tensor charge based on an analysis of pion-pair production in deep-inelastic scattering off transversely polarized targets. Recently released data for proton and deuteron targets by HERMES and COMPASS allow for a flavor separation of the valence components of transversity. At variance with the Collins effect, this extraction is performed in the framework of collinear factorization and relies on di-hadron fragmentation functions. The latter have been taken from the first recent analysis of the semi-inclusive production of two pion pairs in back-to-back jets in e+e- annihilation. We also comment on the possibility of isolating new azimuthally asymmetric correlations of opposite pion pairs, which could arise when a fragmenting quark crosses parity-odd domains localized in Minkowski space-time and induced by the topologically nontrivial QCD background (the so-called theta vacuum).

First extraction of valence transversities in a collinear framework

We present an extraction of the valence transversity parton distributions based on an analysis of pion-pair production in deep-inelastic scattering off transversely polarized targets. Recently released data for proton and deuteron targets at HERMES and COMPASS permit a flavor separation of valence transversities. The present extraction is performed in the framework of collinear factorization, where dihadron fragmentation functions are involved. The latter are taken from a previous analysis of electron-positron annihilation measurements.