Single spin asymmetry in inclusive pion production, Collins effect and the string model

Abstract

We calculate the single spin asymmetry in the inclusive pion production in proton-proton collisions. We generate the asymmetry at the level of fragmentation function (Collins effect) by the Lund coloured string mechanism. We compare our results with the Fermilab E704 data from polarized proton-proton collisions at 200 GeV. We show that the transversely polarized quark densities at high Bjorken x strongly differ from these predicted by the SU(6) proton wave function.