Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 162, 103-116 (2008)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2008-00782-y

Highlights and perspectives of the JLab spin physics program

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA 23606, USA

Corresponding author: jpchen@jlab.org

Abstract

Nucleon spin structure has been an active, exciting and intriguing subject of interest for the last three decades. Recent precision spin-structure data from Jefferson Lab have significantly advanced our knowledge of nucleon structure in the valence quark (high-x) region and improved our understanding of higher-twist effects, spin sum rules and quark-hadron duality. First, results of spin sum rules and polarizabilities in the low to intermediate Q² region are presented. Comparison with theoretical calculations, in particular with Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) calculations, are discussed. Surprising disagreements of ChPT calculations with experimental results on the generalized spin polarizability, , were found. Then, precision measurements of the spin asymmetry, A₁, in the high-x region are presented. They provide crucial input for global fits to world data to extract polarized parton distribution functions. The up and down quark spin distributions in the nucleon were extracted. The results for disagree with the leading-order pQCD prediction assuming hadron helicity conservation. Results of precision measurements of the g₂ structure function to study higher-twist effects are presented. The data indicate a significant higher-twist (twist-3 or higher) effect. The second moment of the spin structure functions and the twist-3 matrix element d₂ results were extracted. The high Q² result was compared with a Lattice QCD calculation. Results on the resonance spin-structure functions in the intermediate Q² range are presented, which, in combination with DIS data, enable a detailed study of quark-hadron duality in spin-structure functions. Finally, an experiment to study neutron transversity and transverse spin asymmetries is discussed. A future plan with the 12 GeV energy upgrade at JLab is briefly outlined.