Corrections to the Elastic Proton-Proton Analyzing Power Parametrization at High Energies

Abstract

The HJET Polarized Atomic Hydrogen Gas Jet Target polarimeter (HJET) polarimeter was designed to measure the absolute polarization of the proton beams at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In these measurements, the small scattering angle elastic $pp$ single $A_N(t)$ and double $A_{NN}(t)$ spin analyzing powers can be precisely determined. The experimental accuracy achieved at HJET requires corrections to the $A_N(t)$ parametrization, conventionally used for such studies. In this paper we evaluate the corrections to the analyzing powers due to (i) the differences between the electromagnetic and hadronic form factors and (ii) the $m_p^2/s$ terms in the elastic spin-flip $pp$ electromagnetic amplitude. The corresponding alterations of the evaluated hadronic spin-flip amplitudes are about the same as the experimental uncertainties of the HJET measurements. The proposed corrections may have implications for the elastic $pp$ forward real-to-imaginary amplitude ratios $\rho$ determined in unpolarized $pp$ experiments.