Probing the Gluon Sivers Function with an Unpolarized Target: GTMD Distributions and the Odderons

Phys Rev Lett. 2020 May 1;124(17):172501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.172501.

Abstract

It is commonly believed that the Sivers function has uniquely to do with processes involving a transversely polarized nucleon. In this Letter we show that this is not necessarily the case. We demonstrate that exclusive pion production in unpolarized electron-proton scattering in the forward region is a direct probe of the gluon Sivers function due to its connection to the QCD odderon.