DIRECT PHOTON PRODUCTION BY POLARIZED BEAM AND TARGET - COMPLETE NEXT-TO-LEADING-ORDER CORRECTIONS

For large-P(T) direct photon production by a longitudinally polarized beam and target complete next-to-leading-order corrections [higher-ord er corrections (HOC's)] are determined. For these, one loop correction s to the basic subprocesses g over arrow pointing right g over arrow p ointing right --> gammaq and q over arrow pointing right qBAR overarro w pointing right --> gammag, as well as the contributions of g over ar row pointing right g over arrow pointing right --> gammaqqBAR and q ov er arrow pointing right q over arrow pointing right --> gammaqq, are c alculated. For p over arrow pointing right p over arrow pointing right --> gamma + X, K factors greater than unity and polarized cross secti ons and asymmetries well measurable are obtained. Certain differences in the regularization procedures and the question of dominance of HOC' s by soft, collinear, and virtual gluons are also discussed.