Gluon polarization measurements and the possible role of diffractive process in the transverse single spin asymmetry measurements in RHIC-PHENIX

Two selected topics from the latest RHIC spin results are discussed here. For the transversely polarized spin program, an unexpectedly large single spin asymmetry in the very forward neutron production observed in polarized proton + nucleus collisions at √s = 200 GeV is discussed in this document. For the longitudinal program, the latest highlights from the measurements on the gluon spin components of the proton spin is discussed. After a decade of continuous efforts to hunt for the gluon polarization, the RHIC collaboration is about to catch the tail of the experimental evidence that gluon carries substantially large portion of the proton spin