Time reversal odd fragmentation functions

Abstract

The combination of transverse momentum and polarization effects in hard scattering processes, e.g polarized deep-inelastic leptoproduction, results in a rich variety of information on the hadronic structure. This information is encoded in a correspondingly large number of functions depending on both, longitudinal fractional momenta $x$ and transverse momenta $p_T$. Integration over transverse momenta establishes the connection to the usual distribution and fragmentation functions. Constraints from hermiticity and invariance under parity operation induce some relations between different functions. One specific aspect of the information on the hadronic structure is the appearance of {\em time reversal odd} fragmentation functions due to the non-applicability of time-reversal invariance for the hadronization of a quark. {\em T-odd} fragmentation functions are experimentally accessible via the measurement of, for instance, asymmetries in semi-inclusive leptoproduction.