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  • Open Access

Suppression of Spin Transfer to Λ Hyperon in Deep-Inelastic Scattering

Xiaoyan Zhao1, Zuo-tang Liang1, Tianbo Liu1,2,*, and Ya-jin Zhou1,†

  • 1Key Laboratory of Particle Physics and Particle Irradiation (MOE), Institute of Frontier and Interdisciplinary Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
  • 2Southern Center for Nuclear-Science Theory (SCNT), Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huizhou 516000, China

  • *Contact author:liutb@sdu.edu.cn
  • †Contact author:zhouyj@sdu.edu.cn
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 231901 – Published 10 June, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/1nd6-9nw9

Abstract

We investigate Λ production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering using a polarized lepton beam and find that the spin transfer is significantly suppressed by target fragmentation. As further demonstrated by a model estimation, experimental data can be well described once the target fragmentation is taken into account, which alleviates the tension with calculations solely based on current fragmentation. Our findings suggest that, at the energies of existing fixed-target experiments, the separation of current and target fragmentation regions is not distinct. Spin transfer as well as other spin effects offers a sensitive probe into the origin of the produced hadron.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 231901– Published 10 June, 2025
  • Received 4 December 2024
  • Revised 1 April 2025
  • Accepted 13 May 2025
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