Heavy flavor production with polarized beam and target

The production of open Qanti Q (Q=c or b) as well as of heavy quarkonia in proton-proton collisions with polarized beam and target is considered. Differential and total cross sections for the subprocesses g vectorg vector→Qanti Q and q vector(q vector vector)→Qanti Q to O (αs2) are determined. Calculations of the asymmetry are presented with two sets of polarized parton distributions differing in the magnitude of the gluon distribution. It is shown that the predicted asymmetries substantially differ, thus allowing a clear distinction between the two sets. (orig.)