https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-8380-1
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
On the connection between quark propagation and hadronization
1
Hampton University, 23668, Hampton, VA, USA
2
Theory Center, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, 12000 Jefferson Avenue, 23606, Newport News, VA, USA
3
Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pavia, via Bassi 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy
4
INFN, Sezione di Pavia, via Bassi 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy
Received:
4
June
2020
Accepted:
20
August
2020
Published online:
5
September
2020
We investigate the properties and structure of the recently discussed “fully inclusive jet correlator”, namely, the gauge-invariant field correlator characterizing the final state hadrons produced by a free quark as this propagates in the vacuum. Working at the operator level, we connect this object to the single-hadron fragmentation correlator of a quark, and exploit a novel gauge invariant spectral decomposition technique to derive a complete set of momentum sum rules for quark fragmentation functions up to twist-3 level; known results are recovered, and new sum rules proposed. We then show how one can explicitly connect quark hadronization and dynamical quark mass generation by studying the inclusive jet’s gauge-invariant mass term. This mass is, on the one hand, theoretically related to the integrated chiral-odd spectral function of the quark, and, on the other hand, is experimentally accessible through the E and 
twist-3 fragmentation function sum rules. Thus, measurements of these fragmentation functions in deep inelastic processes provide one with an experimental gateway into the dynamical generation of mass in Quantum Chromodynamics.
© The Author(s) 2020
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