Precision measurements of A[n over 1] in the deep inelastic regime

Abstract

We have performed precision measurements of the double-spin virtual-photon asymmetry A[subscript 1] on the neutron in the deep inelastic scattering regime, using an open-geometry, large-acceptance spectrometer and a longitudinally and transversely polarized [superscript 3]He target. Our data cover a wide kinematic range 0.277 ≤ x ≤ 0.548 at an average Q[superscript 2] value of 3.078 (GeV/c)[superscript 2], doubling the available high-precision neutron data in this x range. We have combined our results with world data on proton targets to make a leading-order extraction of the ratio of polarized-to-unpolarized parton distribution functions for up quarks and for down quarks in the same kinematic range. Our data are consistent with a previous observation of an A[n over 1] zero crossing near x = 0.5. We find no evidence of a transition to a positive slope in (Δd + Δ[bar over d])/(d + [bar over d]) up to x = 0.548.