The HERMES experiment has measured double spin asymmetries in the cross section for deep–inelastic scattering of longitudinally polarized positrons on longitudinally polarized 3 He (1995), 1 H (1996/97), and 2 D (1998) targets. A kinematic range of 0.023 < x < 0.6, and 1 GeV 2 < Q2 < 15 GeV 2 has been covered. From these asymmetries, based on inclusive and semi–inclusive measurements, polarized quark distributions are extracted as a function of x for up [Formula: see text] and down [Formula: see text] flavors as well as for valence and sea quarks. In the measured range, the up quark polarization is positive while the down quark polarization is negative. The sea quark polarization is compatible with zero. In this analysis all sea quark polarizations have been assumed to be flavor symmetric. Presently HERMES is analyzing a high statistics 2 D data sample taken in 1999-2000. For these data it is possible to identify pions and kaons with a RICH detector which was installed in 1998. This will enable an extraction of the individual sea quark flavors [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] without any symmetry assumptions.
Double spin asymmetries through QCD instantons