Determination of pion and kaon fragmentation functions including spin asymmetries data in a global analysis

Abstract

We present new functional form of pion and kaon fragmentation functions up to next-to-leading order obtained through a global fit to single-inclusive electron-positron annihilation data and also employ, the semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering asymmetry data from HERMES and COMPASS to determine fragmentation functions. Also we apply very recently electron-positron annihilation data from BaBar and Belle at $\sqrt{s}=10.54$ GeV and $\sqrt{s}=10.52$ GeV, respectively. In this analysis we consider the impression of semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering asymmetry data on the fragmentation functions, where the produced hadrons of different electric charge are identified. We break symmetry assumption between quark and anti-quark fragmentation functions for favored partons by using the asymmetry data. The results of our analysis are in good agreement with electron-positron annihilation data and also with all the semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering asymmetry data. Also we apply the obtained fragmentation functions to predict the scaled-energy distribution of $\pi^+/K^+$ inclusively produced in top-quark decays at next-to-leading order using the zero-mass variable-flavor-number scheme exploiting the universality and scaling violations of fragmentation functions.