Toward twist-2 $T$-odd transverse-momentum-dependent gluon distributions: the $f$-type Sivers function

We report progresses on leading-twist transverse-momentum-dependent (TMD) gluon distributions, calculated in a spectator-model framework for the parent nucleon. We encode in our formalism a fit-based parameterization for the spectator-mass density, suited to describe the gluon content of the proton in a wide range of $x$. We present preliminary results on the $f$-type Sivers function, a key ingredient to access relevant spin-asymmetries emerging when the nucleon is transversely polarized. These studies are helpful to shed light on the gluon dynamics inside nucleons and nuclei, which is one of the primary goals of new-generation colliding facilities, as the Electron-Ion Collider, the High-Luminosity LHC, NICA-SPD, and the Forward Physics Facility.