$^3$He spin-dependent structure functions within the relativistic Light-Front Hamiltonian dynamics

Abstract

$^3$He spin-dependent structure functions, $g^3_1(x)$ and $g^3_2(x)$, which parametrize the hadronic tensor in polarized deep-inelastic scattering, were evaluated within the Poincaré covariant light-front framework. The Bakamjian-Thomas construction of the Poincaré generators allows us to make use of a realistic $^3$He wave function, obtained from refined nuclear phenomenological potentials. The same approach was already successfully applied to the $^3$He and $^4$He unpolarized deep-inelastic scattering. To investigate the neutron polarized structure functions, $g^n_1$ and $g^n_2$, a readily implementable procedure, aimed at extracting the neutron spin structure functions from those of $^3$He, is shown to hold. Moreover, the first moment of $g^3_1(x)$ was evaluated, aiming at providing a valuable check of the Bjorken sum rule. The present analysis is relevant for experiments nvolving polarized beams planned at the future facilities, like the Electron Ion Colliders.