Transverse Target Single Spin Asymmetry in Elastic e-{\p} Scattering

Abstract

Using the Coulomb Eikonal Phase associated with a transversely polarized nucleon, we calculate the azimuthal single spin asymmetry of unpolarized electrons elastically scattered from a transversely polarized nucleon target. The azimuthal asymmetry in this case is attributed to the fact that in a transversely polarized nucleon, the transverse charge density is no longer axially symmetric and is distorted due to the transverse spin of the nucleon. This asymmetry in the nucleon charge density causes a left-right asymmetry in the azimuthal distribution of the scattered electrons. In our approach, we utilize the relativistic Eikonal approximation to calculate the one and two photon exchange amplitudes from which a non zero azimuthal asymmetry appears due to the interference between the two amplitudes.