Complete lowest order radiative corrections in semi-inclusive scattering of polarized particles

Abstract

The lowest order radiative corrections to the cross section and asymmetries measured in experiments on semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering of polarized particles were calculated. Both exact and leading log expressions were presented and discussed for the total correction that include the contributions from the processes of (i) real photon emission with semi-inclusive processes, (ii) loop diagrams, and (iii) real photon emission with exclusive processes. Radiative corrections to the Sivers and Collins asymmetries in $π^+$ electroproduction were studied numerically within the kinematical conditions of modern experimental environments at Jefferson Laboratory (JLab). The Wandzura-Wilczek approximation for the semi-inclusive structure functions and MAID2007 parameterization for the six amplitudes of exclusive processes were used in numeric analyses. The results show that (i) radiative effects can generate a correction comparable to the size of Sivers and Collins asymmetries at the Born level, (ii) there is good agreement between the exact and leading-order corrections, (iii) external functions (that is, other than the Sivers and Collins functions in the respective asymmetries) can generate a contribution to the radiative correction up to 20\%, and (iv) there exists a strong dependence of the radiative correction on the models for semi-inclusive and exclusive structure functions.