P. Astier et al., Measurement of the Lambda polarization in nu(mu) charged current interactions in the NOMAD experiment, NUCL PHYS B, 588(1-2), 2000, pp. 3-36
The Lambda polarization in upsilon (mu) charged current interactions has be
en measured in the NOMAD experiment. The event sample (8087 reconstructed L
ambda 's) is more than an order of magnitude larger than that of previous b
ubble chamber experiments, while the quality of event reconstruction is com
parable. We observe negative polarization along the W-boson direction which
is enhanced in the target fragmentation region: P-x(x(F) < 0) = -0.21 +/-
0.04(stat) +/- 0.02(sys). In the current fragmentation region we find P-x(x
(F) > 0) = -0.09 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.03(sys). These results provide a test
of different models describing the nucleon spin composition and the spin t
ransfer mechanisms. A significant transverse polarization tin the direction
orthogonal to the Lambda production plane! has been observed for the first
time in a neutrino experiment: P-y = -0.22 +/- 0.03(stat) +/- 0.01(sys). T
he dependence of the absolute value of P-y on the Lambda transverse momentu
m with respect to the hadronic jet direction is in qualitative agreement wi
th the resuits from unpolarized hadron-hadron experiments. (C) 2000 Elsevie
r Science B.V. All rights reserved.