Longitudinal Spin Asymmetry and Cross Section of Inclusive π0 Production in Polarized p+ p Collisions at RHIC

We present the first measurement of the cross section and the double longitudinal spin asymmetry of inclusive π0 production in polarized p+p collisions at √ s = 200 GeV at mid-rapidity with the STAR detector, using the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter. The measured cross section is compared to NLO pQCD calculations and can provide constraints on the pion fragmentation functions. Fragmentation is studied directly by measuring the momentum fraction of π0 in jets, a quantity that is affected by the fragmentation process and jet reconstruction effects. The double longitudinal spin asymmetry is compared to NLO pQCD calculations based on different assumptions for the gluon polarization in the nucleon to provide constraints on ∆g/g. At the present level of statistics the measured asymmetry disfavors a large positive gluon polarization, but can not yet distinguish between other scenarios. PACS: 13.85.Ni, 13.87.Fh, 13.88.+e, 14.20.Dh, 24.70.+s