Forward Spin Physics at STAR

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This project involves measurements of collisions between polarized protons at the Brookhaven Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The measurement of scattering cross sections, with thedependence upon initial state spin orientation, yields insight into the spin configurations of thequarks and gluons that make up the proton.The immediate goal for this project will be measurement of the dependence of forward neutral pionproduction on the transverse components of the initial state proton spins. Toward this goal,calorimetry is to be installed in the very forward directions of the STAR detector. This set ofmeasurements is expected to produce the largest spin dependence in proton-proton collisions atRHIC and is naturally our first objective as the new polarized facility comes on- line. Recenttheoretical progress has increased the importance of this kinematic region. Completemeasurements in STAR, with both longitudinally and transversely polarized proton beams and withcalorimetry and tracking covering a wide range of scattering angles, have the potential tocharacterize the quark and gluon spin structure of the proton.