Nucleon strangeness polarization from $$\varLambda /\bar{\varLambda }$$ Λ/Λ¯ hyperon production in polarized proton–proton collision at RHIC

Abstract

Abstract We calculate the inclusive production of a polarized $$\varLambda $$ Λ or $$\bar{\varLambda }$$ Λ¯ hyperon from the single longitudinally polarized proton and proton (pp) collision at RHIC. By comparing the data reported by the STAR Collaboration, we find that this process is sensitive to the polarization of strange and antistrange quarks of the proton in the experimental range. By introducing asymmetric coefficients with the minimization of $$\chi ^2$$ χ2 , we further identify the asymmetry of the polarized strange–antistrange quarks in the proton sea and find that the first moment is $$\varDelta s \approx -\,0.025\pm 0.019$$ Δs≈-0.025±0.019 for strange quark and $$\varDelta \bar{s} \approx -\,0.001\pm 0.012$$ Δs¯≈-0.001±0.012 for antistrange quark, with central values agreeing with the light-cone meson–baryon fluctuation model prediction, the recent lattice QCD determination of strangeness polarization and results from a global QCD analysis given by the Jefferson Lab Angular Momentum (JAM) Collaboration.