StringSpinner 2.0: Enabling quark spin effects in PYTHIA for $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ annihilation

Abstract

The StringSpinner package, which implements quark spin effects in the PYTHIA event generator using the string+${}^3{P}_0$ model of hadronization, is extended to handle the process $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to q\bar{q}\to hadrons$ at leading order. The correlations between the spin states of the $q\bar{q}$ pair produced in the reaction are described by a joint spin density matrix. The spin correlations are propagated along the string fragmentation chain by using the rules of the string+${}^3{P}_0$ model and are implemented for the production of pseudoscalar and vector mesons. The new version of the package can be used to simulate spin effects in $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ annihilation like the Collins and the Artru-Collins asymmetries. It can also be applied to the study of other spin effects in hadronization predicted by the string+${}^3{P}_0$ model with a user-defined joint spin density matrix of the $q\bar{q}$ pair. To showcase the usage of the package the polar angle dependence of the Collins asymmetries for back-to-back pions is studied and compared with the available data.

9 pages, 3 figures, to be submitted to Computer Physics Communications