Next-to-Leading Order Evolution of Polarized and Unpolarized Fragmentation Functions

Abstract

We determine the two-loop 'time-like' Altarelli-Parisi splitting functions, appearing in the next-to-leading order Q^2-evolution equations for fragmentation functions, via analytic continuation of the corresponding 'space-like' splitting functions for the evolution of parton distributions. We do this for the case of unpolarized fragmentation functions and - for the first time - also for the functions describing the fragmentation of a longitudinally polarized parton into a longitudinally polarized spin-1/2 hadron such as a Lambda baryon. Our calculation is based on the method proposed and employed by Curci, Furmanski and Petronzio in the unpolarized case in which we confirm their results.