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M. Strikman

Publications and source records attributed to M. Strikman.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Multi-Parton Interactions at the LHC

We review the recent progress in the theoretical description and experimental observation of multiple parton interactions. Subjects covered include experimental measurements of minimum bias interactions and of the underlying event, models of soft physics implemented in Monte Carlo generators, developments in the theoretical description of multiple parton interactions and phenomenological studies of double parton scattering. This article stems from contributions presented at the Helmholtz Alliance workshop on "Multi-Parton Interactions at the LHC", DESY Hamburg, 13-15 September 2010.

hep-ph↗

Coherent rho and J/psi photoproduction in ultraperipheral processes with electromagnetic dissociation of heavy ions at RHIC and LHC

We present predictions for the J/psi and rho meson production in the heavy ion ultraperipheral collisions (UPC) for the current energy 2.76 TeV at the LHC. Both total cross sections and cross sections with the neutron emission from one or both nuclei are presented. We also analyse the RHIC rho meson photoproduction data and emphasize importance of these data to test the current model for nucleus break up in UPC.

hep-ph↗

Realizing vector meson dominance with transverse charge densities

The transverse charge density in a fast-moving nucleon is represented as a dispersion integral of the imaginary part of the Dirac form factor in the timelike region (spectral function). At a given transverse distance b the integration effectively extends over energies in a range sqrt{t} ~< 1/b, with exponential suppression of larger values. The transverse charge density at peripheral distances thus acts as a low-pass filter for the spectral function and allows one to select energy regions dominated by specific t-channel states, corresponding to definite exchange mechanisms in the spacelike form factor. We show that distances b ~ 0.5 - 1.5 fm in the isovector density are maximally sensitive to the rho meson region, with only a ~10% contribution from higher-mass states. Soft-pion exchange governed by chiral dynamics becomes relevant only at larger distances. In the isoscalar density higher-mass states beyond the omega are comparatively more important. The dispersion approach suggests that the positive transverse charge density in the neutron at b ~ 1 fm, found previously in a Fourier analysis of spacelike form factor data, could serve as a sensitive test of the the isoscalar strength in the ~1 GeV mass region. In terms of partonic structure, the transverse densities in the vector meson region b ~ 1 fm support an approximate mean-field picture of the motion of valence quarks in the nucleon.

hep-ph↗

Proton-Nucleus Collisions at the LHC: Scientific Opportunities and Requirements

Proton-nucleus (p+A) collisions have long been recognized as a crucial component of the physics programme with nuclear beams at high energies, in particular for their reference role to interpret and understand nucleus-nucleus data as well as for their potential to elucidate the partonic structure of matter at low parton fractional momenta (small-x). Here, we summarize the main motivations that make a proton-nucleus run a decisive ingredient for a successful heavy-ion programme at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and we present unique scientific opportunities arising from these collisions. We also review the status of ongoing discussions about operation plans for the p+A mode at the LHC.

hep-ph↗

Beam Fragmentation in Heavy Ion Collisions with Realistically Correlated Nuclear Configurations

We develop a new approach to production of the spectator nucleons in the heavy ion collisions. The energy transfer to the spectator system is calculated using the Monte Carlo based on the updated version of our generator of configurations in colliding nuclei which includes a realistic account of short-range correlations in nuclei. The transferred energy distributions are calculated within the framework of the Glauber multiple scattering theory, taking into account all the individual inelastic and elastic collisions using an independent realistic calculation of the potential energy contribution of each of the nucleon-nucleon pairs to the total potential. We show that the dominant mechanism of the energy transfer is tearing apart pairs of nucleons with the major contribution coming from the short-range correlations. We calculate the momentum distribution of the emitted nucleons which is strongly affected by short range correlations including its dependence on the azimuthal angle. In particular, we predict a strong angular asymmetry along the direction of the impact parameter b, providing a unique opportunity to determine the direction of b. Also, we predict a strong dependence of the shape of the nucleon momentum distribution on the centrality of the nucleus-nucleus collision.

nucl-th↗

The four jet production at LHC and Tevatron in QCD

We demonstrate that in the back-to-back kinematics the production of four jets in the collision of two partons is suppressed in the leading log approximation of pQCD, compared to the hard processes involving the collision of four partons. We derive the basic equation for four-jet production in QCD in terms of the convolution of generalized two-parton distributions of colliding hadrons in the momentum space representation. Our derivation leads to geometrical approach in the impact parameter space close to that suggested within the parton model and used before to describe the four-jet production. We develop the independent parton approximation to the light-cone wave function of the proton. Comparison with the CDF and D0 data shows that the independent parton approximation to the light-cone wave function of the proton is insufficient to explain the data. We argue that the data indicate the presence of significant multiparton correlations in the light-cone wave functions of colliding protons.

hep-ph↗

Pion transverse charge density from timelike form factor data

The transverse charge density in the pion can be represented as a dispersion integral of the imaginary part of the pion form factor in the timelike region. This formulation incorporates information from e+e- annihilation experiments and allows one to reconstruct the transverse density much more accurately than from the spacelike pion form factor data alone. We calculate the transverse density using an empirical parametrization of the timelike pion form factor and estimate that it is determined to an accuracy of ~10% at a distance b ~ 0.1 fm, and significantly better at larger distances. The density is found to be close to that obtained from a zero-width rho meson pole over a wide range and shows a pronounced rise at small distances. The resulting two-dimensional image of the fast-moving pion can be interpreted in terms of its partonic structure in QCD. We argue that the singular behavior of the charge density at the center requires a substantial presence of pointlike configurations in the pion's partonic wave function, which can be probed in other high-momentum transfer processes.

hep-ph↗

Transverse nucleon structure and diagnostics of hard parton-parton processes at LHC

We propose a new method to determine at what transverse momenta particle production in high-energy pp collisions is governed by hard parton-parton processes. Using information on the transverse spatial distribution of partons obtained from hard exclusive processes in ep/gamma p scattering, we evaluate the impact parameter distribution of pp collisions with a hard parton-parton process as a function of p_T of the produced parton (jet). We find that the average pp impact parameters in such events depend very weakly on p_T in the range 2 < p_T < few 100 GeV, while they are much smaller than those in minimum-bias inelastic collisions. The impact parameters in turn govern the observable transverse multiplicity in such events (in the direction perpendicular to the trigger particle or jet). Measuring the transverse multiplicity as a function of p_T thus provides an effective tool for determining the minimum p_T for which a given trigger particle originates from a hard parton-parton process. Additional tests of the proposed geometric correlations are possible by measuring the dependence on the trigger rapidity. Various strategies for implementing this method are outlined.

hep-ph↗

Quantifying the nucleon's pion cloud with transverse charge densities

The transverse densities in a fast-moving nucleon offer a model-independent framework for analyzing the spatial structure of the pion cloud and its role in current matrix elements. We calculate the chiral large-distance component of the charge density using a dispersion representation of the form factor and discuss its partonic interpretation. The non-chiral core is dominant up to surprisingly large distances ~2 fm. The chiral component can be probed in precision low-Q^2 elastic eN scattering or in peripheral deep-inelastic processes which resolve its quark/gluon content.

hep-ph↗

Color fluctuation approximation for multiple interactions in leading twist theory of nuclear shadowing

The leading twist theory of nuclear shadowing predicts the shadowing correction to nuclear parton distributions at small $x$ by connecting it to the leading twist hard diffraction in electron-nucleon scattering. The uncertainties of the predictions are related to the shadowing effects resulting from the interaction of the hard probe with $N \ge 3$ nucleons. We argue that the pattern of hard diffraction observed at HERA allows one to reduce these uncertainties. We develop a new approach to the treatment of these multiple interactions, which is based on the concept of the color fluctuations and accounts for the presence of both point-like and hadron-like configurations in the virtual photon wave function. Using the developed framework, we update our predictions for the leading twist nuclear shadowing in nuclear parton distributions of heavy nuclei at small $x$.

hep-ph↗

Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Multiple Partonic Interactions at the LHC (MPI08)

The objective of this first workshop on Multiple Partonic Interactions (MPI) at the LHC is to raise the profile of MPI studies, summarizing the legacy from the older phenomenology at hadronic colliders and favouring further specific contacts between the theory and experimental communities. The MPI are experiencing a growing popularity and are currently widely invoked to account for observations that would not be explained otherwise: the activity of the Underlying Event, the cross sections for multiple heavy flavour production, the survival probability of large rapidity gaps in hard diffraction, etc. At the same time, the implementation of the MPI effects in the Monte Carlo models is quickly proceeding through an increasing level of sophistication and complexity that in perspective achieves deep general implications for the LHC physics. The ultimate ambition of this workshop is to promote the MPI as unification concept between seemingly heterogeneous research lines and to profit of the complete experimental picture in order to constrain their implementation in the models, evaluating the spin offs on the LHC physics program.

hep-ex↗

Proton Decay: Improving the sensitivity through nuclear dynamics?

The kinematics of the decay of a bound proton is governed by the proton spectral function. We evaluate this quantity in 16O using the information from nuclear physics experiments. It also includes a correlated part. The reliability of this evaluation is sufficient to open the possibility of correlated cuts in the missing mass and momentum variables in order to identify the decay events from the bound protons with a possible increase of the signal to noise ratio.

nucl-th↗

DGLAP versus perturbative Pomeron in large momentum transfer hard diffractive processes at HERA and LHC

We evaluate within the LO DGLAP approximation the dependence on energy of the cross section of the photo(electro)production of vector meson V ($V=J/ψ,...$) in the hard elastic processes off a parton $γ^*+g\to V=J/ψ+g$ as the function of momentum transfer $t=(q_γ-p_V)^2$. We demonstrate that in the limit $-t \ge m_V^2 +Q^2$ the cross section does not contain double logarithmic terms in any order of the DGLAP approximation leading to the energy independent cross section. Thus the energy dependence of cross section $γ^*+p\to J/ψ+{\rm rapidity ~gap} +X$ is governed at large $t$ by the gluon distribution within a proton, i.e. it is unambiguously predicted within the DGLAP approximation including the stronger $W_{γN}$ dependence at larger $-t$ . This prediction explains recent HERA data. The calculations which follow perturbative Pomeron logic predict opposite trend of a weaker $W_{γN}$ dependence at larger $t$. We explain that at the HERA energies double logarithmic terms characteristic for DGLAP approximation dominate in the hard processes as the consequence of constraints due to energy-momentum conservation. We give predictions for ultraperipheral hard diffractive processes at the LHC and show that these processes are well suited for looking for the contribution of the single logarithmic terms due to the gluon emission in the multiRegge kinematics. We also comment on the interrelation between energy and $t$ dependence of the cross sections of the hard exclusive processes.

hep-ph↗

Multiple Hard Partonic Collisions with Correlations in Proton-Proton Scattering

We propose a simple method for incorporating correlations into the impact parameter space description of multiple (semi-)hard partonic collisions in high energy hadron-hadron scattering. The perturbative QCD input is the standard factorization theorem for inclusive dijet production with a lower cutoff on transverse momentum. The width of the transverse distribution of hard partons is fixed by parameterizations of the two-gluon form factor. We then reconstruct the hard contribution to the total inelastic profile function and obtain corrections due to correlations to the more commonly used eikonal description. Estimates of the size of double correlation corrections are based on the rate of double collisions measured at the Tevatron. We find that, if typical values for the lower transverse momentum cutoff are used in the calculation of the inclusive hard dijet cross section, then the correlation corrections are necessary for maintaining consistency with expectations for the total inelastic proton-proton cross section at LHC energies.

hep-ph↗

The energy dependence of the hard exclusive diffractive processes in pQCD as the function of momentum transfer

We predict the dependence on energy of photo(electro) production processes: $γ(γ^*)+p\to V+ X$ with large rapidity gap at small x and large momentum $-t$ transferred to $V$ in pQCD. Here V is a heavy quarkonium ($J/ψ, Υ$) or longitudinally polarized light vector meson (in the electroproduction processes), etc. In the kinematics of HERA we calculate the dependence on energy of cross sections of these processes as the function of momentum transfer $t$, photon virtuality $Q^2$ and/or quarkonium mass. In the kinematical region $Q_0^2\le -t\ll Q^2+M^2_V$ the nontrivial energy dependence of the cross section for the vector meson production due to the photon scattering off a parton follows within QCD from the summing of the double logarithmic terms. In the second regime $-t\ge Q^2+M^2_V$ within DGLAP approximation in all orders of perturbation theory the $q\bar q - {\rm parton}$ elastic cross section is energy independent. We show that the correct account of the double logarithmic terms and of the gluon radiation including kinematical constraints removes the disagreement between pQCD calculations and recent HERA experimental data. The explicit formula for the dependence of the differential cross section$\displaystyle{\frac{d^2σ}{dtdx_J}}$ of these processes on $s_{γ^*N}$ is obtained. We show that perturbative Pomeron type behavior may reveal itself only at energies significantly larger than those available at HERA. In addition we evaluate the energy dependence of DCVS processes.

hep-ph↗

Realistic Nuclear Wave functions and Heavy Ion Collisions

We discuss the implications of recent experimental evidence of nuclear Short Range Correlations (SRCs) on the modeling of the wave function of complex nuclei. We perform a calculation of potential energy contributions of pp and pn pairs in nuclei, showing that the presence of strong tensor correlations produce a ratio between the twos of about 1/9, which strongly deviates from the combinatorial counting of the number of pairs. We also discuss implications for the production of Monte Carlo configuration for the simulation of nuclear reactions involving complex nuclei.

nucl-th↗