Global tensor polarization of spin $3/2$ hadrons and quark spin correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions

Abstract

We study the global polarization of spin-$3/2$ hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. We show in particular that the global tensor polarizations of rank two or three for spin-$3/2$ hadrons are sensitive to the local two or three quark spin correlations respectively in the quark gluon plasma produced in the collision processes. We present the relationships between these measurable tensor polarizations and quark spin correlations in the quark matter system.