Polarized photoproduction of heavy quarks in next-to-leading order

The results of a next-to-leading order calculation of heavy quark productio n in longitudinally polarized photon-nucleon collisions are presented. At c .m. energy root S = 10 GeV, for gamma + p --> c + X, cross sections differe ntial in the transverse momentum and rapidity of the charmed quark c and th e corresponding asymmetries are presented; also, as functions of root S, in tegrated cross sections, K-factors and the corresponding asymmetries an giv en. Errors in the asymmetries are estimated and the possibility to distingu ish between three scenarios differing essentially in the polarized gluon di stribution is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved .