Mapping the transverse spin sum rule in position space
arXiv:2505.20468 · doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2025.139792
Abstract
We discuss in detail the relativistic spatial distribution of transverse angular momentum, including both orbital and intrinsic spin contributions. Using the quantum phase-space formalism, we begin with the definition of the three-dimensional spatial distributions of transverse orbital angular momentum and intrinsic spin in a generic Lorentz frame. By integrating these three-dimensional spatial distributions over the longitudinal axis, we derive for the first time the relativistic spatial distributions of transverse orbital angular momentum, intrinsic spin, and total angular momentum for spin-0 and spin-1/2 targets in the transverse plane. We verify the transverse spin sum rule about the relativistic center of spin for spin-0 and spin-1/2 systems, and find that the transverse total angular momentum distribution is non-trivial, even for spin-0 targets. We also show how the distributions of transverse orbital angular momentum, intrinsic spin, and total angular momentum change with the target momentum.
10 pages, 4 figures