Double Sivers effect asymmetries and their impact on transversity measurements at RHIC

Abstract

We study double transverse spin asymmetries in the Drell-Yan process at measured transverse momentum of the lepton pair. Contrary to what a collinear factorization approach would suggest, a nonzero double transverse spin asymmetry in the laboratory frame a priori does not imply nonzero transversity. TMD effects, such as the double Sivers effect, in principle form a background. Using the current knowledge of the relevant TMDs we estimate their contribution in the laboratory frame for Drell-Yan and W production at RHIC and point out a cross check asymmetry measurement to bound the TMD contributions. We also comment on the transverse momentum integrated asymmetries that only receive power suppressed background contributions.

12 pages, 11 eps figures, minor changes, matches the published version