Photon-Hadron Correlations in p-p Collisions with the PHENIX Detector

Hard scattering in the $\gamma$-jet channel is thought to be a clean observable for energy-loss studies in heavy-ion collisions and spin asymmetries in polarized proton collisions. The measurement of photon-hadron correlations in unpolarized p+p collisions is an important baseline. pQCD calculations describe direct photon production reasonably at in the relevant $x_{T}$ range, however theoretical uncertainties are non-negligible. Initial and final state radiation present at Next-to-Leading Order may complicate the interpretation of experimental results. Moreover, non-perturbative quantities which influence the yield of photon-hadron pairs, particularly the gluon distribution function and photon fragmentation function, are poorly constrained by the world data in the kinematic range of interest. Photon-hadron correlation data from RHIC at $\sqrt{s}$ = 200 GeV should serve as a benchmark with which to compare data in polarized p-p and nuclear collisions where $\gamma$-jet data represent experimental signatures of possible gluon spin effects and Quark-Gluon Plasma formation, respectively. Recent PHENIX data will be presented.