[Cuga] Workshop on Fragmentation Functions and QCD 2012- A message from Shunzo Kumano

[Lorelei Chopard]

Dear Colleagues,

Fragmentation functions describe the process of how quasi-free partons
at high energy fragment into confined, final state hadrons. Although
there are hadron-model estimates on the fragmentation functions, they
cannot even be calculated on the lattice unlike parton distribution
functions and need to be measured experimentally. Apart from trying
to understand this quasi-free to confined transition itself, they
have also become very important tools in the determination of the spin
structure of the nucleon and are absolutely essential for transverse
spin related observables. In most of the main processes in polarized
ep and pp collisions they play a prominent role. Fragmentation functions
have allowed us to access the flavor separated parton helicities,
for example. The extraction of fragmentation functions is the cleanest
in e+e- annihilation, but semi-inclusive DIS and hadronic cross sections
from pp collisions provide valuable flavor information as well.

We would like to invite everybody interested in fragmentation functions
to an upcoming joint (RIKEN/KEK/TokyoTech) workshop at RIKEN, Japan
on November 9-11, 2012. It addresses the current status of fragmentation
function measurements and their theoretical interpretations as well as
their outlook in view of ongoing and future experiments. Further details
can be found at:
http://indico.riken.jp/indico/conferenceDisplay.py?confId=800 .

We are looking forward to seeing you at the workshop.

With best regards,

Shunzo Kumano (KEK), Ralf Seidl (Riken), and Toshi-Aki Shibata (Tokyo Tech)
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