Drell-Yan Processes and the Flavor-dependent EMC Effect

Recently, a new calculation of the modifications of nucleon quark distributions in nuclear medium has been reported by Clo\"{e}t, Bentz and Thomas. This calculation, based on the Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model for describing the coupling of the quarks in the bound nucleons to the scalar and vector mean fields inside a nucleus, has a novel prediction that the $u$ and $d$ quarks have distinct nuclear modifications for $N\neq Z$ nuclei. We discuss the possibility to test this calculation using the pion-induced Drell-Yan processes. Calculations for various experimental observables in pionic Drell-Yan processes using the model by Clo\"{e}t et al. are compared with existing data. It is shown that pion-induced Drell-Yan experiments on nuclear targets can provide a very stringent test. Predictions for possible future pion-induced Drell-Yan experiments are also presented.