Transverse-spin dependent energy-energy correlators in proton-proton collisions within the dihadron fragmentation framework

Abstract: We calculate energy-energy correlations for two hadrons produced inside a jet in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions. We make numerical predictions based on a simple model that utilizes a previous global QCD analysis of dihadron fragmentation and transversity parton distribution functions. The results show remarkable agreement with a very recent STAR measurement. We also find the data at large jet transverse momentum have a slight preference for extractions of transversity that are consistent with lattice QCD computations of the nucleon tensor charges. Overall, this work provides further evidence for the underlying non-perturbative mechanism of near-side energy-energy correlators as well as highlights the potential for these observables to probe transverse-spin effects inside the nucleon.