Longitudinal spin physics at COMPASS

The spin structure of the nucleon is studied by the COMPASS collaboration using scattering of muons off polarised protons and deuterons. From the resulting asymmetries spin structure functions are extracted and the flavour decomposition of the quark contribution to the nucleon spin is studied. The gluon polarisation is investigated using the photon–gluon fusion process. Here, two main channels are investigated, open charm production and high p T hadron pair production. Also first measurements of unpolarised cross sections are reported.