Lepton-Jet Correlations in Deep Inelastic Scattering at the Electron-Ion Collider

Area of Science:

• High-energy particle physics
• Nuclear physics
• Quantum chromodynamics

Background:

• Deep inelastic scattering (DIS) experiments probe the internal structure of nucleons and nuclei.
• Understanding the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) quark distributions is crucial for a complete picture of hadron structure.
• The electron-ion collider (EIC) is a next-generation facility designed to study these properties with unprecedented precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate lepton-jet correlations in DIS as a novel tool for nucleon and nucleus tomography.
• To demonstrate the sensitivity of these correlations to TMD quark distributions, specifically the Sivers function.
• To explore the application of lepton-jet correlations in lepton-nucleus collisions for investigating cold nuclear matter effects.

Main Methods:

• Analyzing the azimuthal angular correlation between final state leptons and jets produced in deep inelastic scattering.
• Utilizing single transverse spin asymmetries to highlight the sensitivity to the quark Sivers function.
• Investigating transverse momentum broadening effects in lepton-nucleus collisions.

Main Results:

• Lepton-jet correlations are shown to be directly dependent on transverse momentum dependent quark distributions.
• The study demonstrates the sensitivity of these correlations to the quark Sivers function through single transverse spin asymmetries.
• Transverse momentum broadening in lepton-nucleus collisions can be effectively studied using this correlation.

Conclusions:

• Lepton-jet correlations provide a unique and powerful probe for nucleon and nucleus tomography at the EIC.
• This method offers new avenues to access and study TMD quark distributions and cold nuclear matter effects.
• Lepton-jet correlations are poised to become an important hard probe at the future electron-ion collider.