Measurement of transverse single-spin asymmetries for midrapidity production of neutral pions and charged hadrons in polarized p+p collisions at s=200GeV

Abstract

Transverse single-spin asymmetries to probe the transverse-spin structure of the proton have been measured for neutral pions and nonidentified charged hadrons from polarized proton-proton collisions at midrapidity and s=200GeV. The data cover a transverse momentum (pT) range 1.0-5.0GeV/c for neutral pions and 0.5-5.0GeV/c for charged hadrons, at a Feynman-x value of approximately zero. The asymmetries seen in this previously unexplored kinematic region are consistent with zero within errors of a few percent. In addition, the inclusive charged hadron cross section at midrapidity from 0.5