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M. Strikman

Publications and source records attributed to M. Strikman.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
arXiv2009

Using branching processes in nuclei to reveal dynamics of large-angle, two-body scattering

We demonstrate that hard branching 2\to 3 particle processes with nuclei provide an effective way to determine the momentum transfers needed for effects of point-like configurations to dominate large angle 2\to 2 processes. In contrast with previously proposed approaches, the discussed reaction allows the effects of the transverse size of configurations to be decoupled from effects of the space-time evolution of these configurations.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

Increase with energy of parton transverse momenta in the fragmentation region in DIS and related phenomena

The dipole and the DGLAP approximations are combined with the $k_t$ factorization theorem to demonstrate the fundamental property of pQCD: smaller is the size of the colorless quark-gluon configurations in the fragmentation region, more rapid is the increase of its interaction with the target as a function of energy. First, we show that the transverse momenta of the quark(antiquark) within the $q\bar{q}$ pair, produced in the fragmentation region by the strongly virtual photon, increase with the decrease of x for fixed $Q^2$. As practical consequence of these effects we show that the cross sections of DIS and DVCS. We predict that the ratio of DVCS to DIS amplitudes should very slowly approach one from above at very large collision energies. Second, we study a closely related phenomenon of the increase of the transverse momenta with the energy of the characteristic transverse momenta of the gluon/quark configurations responsible for the transition to the black disk regime. We discuss the impact of this phenomenona on the slowing of the dependence on the initial energy of the coherence length. We demonstrate that a rapid projectile has the biconcave shape, which is different from the expectations of the preQCD parton model where a fast hadron has a pancake shape. We show that the increase of the transverse momenta leads to a new expression for the total cross section of a DIS scattering at very large energies, relevant to LHeC and LHC. We discuss the impact of the discovered phenomena on the hard processes in pp collisions, and on the dominance ofdifferent phases of chiral and conformal symmetries in the central and peripheral pp, pA, and AA collisions.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

Novel two-to-three hard hadronic processes and possible studies of generalized parton distributions at hadron facilities

We consider a novel class of hard branching hadronic processes a+b->c+d+e, where hadrons c and d have large and nearly opposite transverse momenta and large invariant energy which is a finite fraction of the total invariant energy. We use color transparency logic to argue that these processes can be used to study quark generalized parton distributions (GPDs) for baryons and mesons in hadron collisions hence complementing and adding to the studies of GPDs in the exclusive DIS (deep inelastic scattering) processes. We propose that a number of GPDs can be investigated in hadron facilities such as J-PARC (Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex) facility and GSI-FAIR (Gesellschaft fur Schwerionenforschung -Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research) project. In this work, the GPDs for the nucleon and for the N->Delta transition are studied in the reaction N+N->N+pi+B, where N, pi, and B are a nucleon, a pion, and a baryon (nucleon or Delta), respectively, with a large momentum transfer between B (or pi) and the incident nucleon. In particular, the Efremov-Radyushkin-Brodsky-Lepage (ERBL) region of the GPDs can be measured in such exclusive reactions. We estimate the cross section of the processes N+N->N+pi+B by using current models for relevant GPDs and information about large angle pi N reactions. We find that it will be feasible to measure these cross sections at the high-energy hadron facilities, and get novel information about the nucleon structure, for example, contributions of quark orbital angular momenta to the nucleon spin. The studies of N->Delta transition GPDs could be valuable also for investigating electromagnetic properties of the transition.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

A Monte Carlo generator of nucleon configurations in complex nuclei including Nucleon-Nucleon correlations

We developed a Monte Carlo event generator for production of nucleon configurations in complex nuclei consistently including effects of Nucleon-Nucleon (NN) correlations. Our approach is based on the Metropolis search for configurations satisfying essential constraints imposed by short- and long-range NN correlations, guided by the findings of realistic calculations of one- and two-body densities for medium-heavy nuclei. The produced event generator can be used for Monte Carlo (MC) studies of pA and AA collisions. We perform several tests of consistency of the code and comparison with previous models, in the case of high energy proton-nucleus scattering on an event-by-event basis, using nucleus configurations produced by our code and Glauber multiple scattering theory both for the uncorrelated and the correlated configurations; fluctuations of the average number of collisions are shown to be affected considerably by the introduction of NN correlations in the target nucleus. We also use the generator to estimate maximal possible gluon nuclear shadowing in a simple geometric model.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2009

Tracking fast small color dipoles through strong gluon fields at the LHC

We argue that the process gamma +A \to J/psi + gap + X at large momentum transfer provides a quick and effective way to test onset of a novel perturbative QCD regime of strong absorption for the interaction of small dipoles at the collider energies. We find that already the first heavy ion run at the LHC will allow to study this reaction with sufficient statistics via ultraperipheral collisions hence probing the interaction of q\bar q dipoles of sizes ~ 0.2 fm with nuclear media down to x ~ 10^{-5}.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2009

Chiral dynamics and partonic structure at large transverse distances

We study large-distance contributions to the nucleon's parton densities in the transverse coordinate (impact parameter) representation based on generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Chiral dynamics generates a distinct component of the partonic structure, located at momentum fractions x ~< M_pi/M_N and transverse distances b ~ 1/M_pi. We calculate this component using phenomenological pion exchange with a physical lower limit in b (the transverse "core" radius estimated from the nucleon's axial form factor, R_core = 0.55 fm) and demonstrate its universal character. This formulation preserves the basic picture of the "pion cloud" model of the nucleon's sea quark distributions, while restricting its application to the region actually governed by chiral dynamics. It is found that (a) the large-distance component accounts for only ~1/3 of the measured antiquark flavor asymmetry dbar - ubar at x ~ 0.1; (b) the strange sea quarks, s and sbar, are significantly more localized than the light antiquark sea; (c) the nucleon's singlet quark size for x < 0.1 is larger than its gluonic size, _{q + qbar} > _g, as suggested by the t-slopes of deeply-virtual Compton scattering and exclusive J/psi production measured at HERA and FNAL. We show that our approach reproduces the general N_c-scaling of parton densities in QCD, thanks to the degeneracy of N and Delta intermediate states in the large-N_c limit. We also comment on the role of pionic configurations at large longitudinal distances and the limits of their applicability at small x.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

On the shape of a rapid hadron in QCD

We visualize the fundamental property of pQCD: the smaller size of the colorless quark-gluon configurations leads to a more rapid increase of its interaction with energy. Within the frame of dipole model we use the $k_t$ factorization theorem to generalize the DGLAP approximation and/or leading $\ln(x_0/x)$ approximation and evaluate the interaction of quark dipole with a target. In the limit of fixed $Q^2$ and $x\to 0$ we found the increase with energy of transverse momenta of quark(antiquark) within q$\bar q$ pair produced by strongly virtual photon. The average $p^2_t$ is evaluated analytically within the double logarithmic approximation. We demonstrate that the invariant mass$^2$ of the q$\bar q$ pair increases with the energy as $M^2_0(x_0/x)^λ$, where $λ\sim 0.4α_sN_c/π$ for transverse photons, and as $\sim M^2_0 \exp{0.17[(4α_sN_c/π)\log(x_0/x)]^{1/2}}$ for longitudinal photons, where $M^2_0 \approx 0.7Q^2$ at the energies of the order $s_0\sim 10^4$ GeV$^2$ ($x_0\sim 10^{-2}$). The magnitude of the effect depends strongly on the small $x$ behavior of the gluon distribution. Similar pattern of the energy dependence of $M^2$ is found in the LO DGLAP approximation generalized to account for $k_t$ factorization. We discuss the impact of the found phenomenon on the dependence of the coherence length on the initial energy and demonstrate that the shape of final hadron state in DIS has biconcave form instead of pancake. Some implications of the found phenomena for the hard processes in pp collisions are discussed.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Rapidity gap survival in central exclusive diffraction: Dynamical mechanisms and uncertainties

We summarize our understanding of the dynamical mechanisms governing rapidity gap survival in central exclusive diffraction, pp -> p + H + p (H = high-mass system), and discuss the uncertainties in present estimates of the survival probability. The main suppression of diffractive scattering is due to inelastic soft spectator interactions at small pp impact parameters and can be described in a mean-field approximation (independent hard and soft interactions). Moderate extra suppression results from fluctuations of the partonic configurations of the colliding protons. At LHC energies absorptive interactions of hard spectator partons associated with the gg -> H process reach the black-disk regime and cause substantial additional suppression, pushing the survival probability below 0.01.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Pion cloud and sea quark flavor asymmetry in the impact parameter representation

We study large-distance contributions to the nucleon parton densities in the transverse coordinate (impact parameter) representation based on generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Chiral dynamics generates a distinct component of the partonic structure, located at momentum fractions x ~< M_pi/M_N and transverse distances b ~ 1/M_pi. We analyze the phenomenological "pion cloud" model of the flavor asymmetry dbar(x) - ubar(x) and quantify what fraction of the calculated asymmetry results from the universal large-distance region. Our findings indicate that a two-component picture of the nucleon's partonic structure, with a "core" antiquark distribution at b < b_core ~= 0.55 fm which vanishes at x -> 0 and the universal large-distance pion cloud, could naturally account for the x-dependence of the measured asymmetry.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Search for Sub-threshold Photoproduction of J/Psi Mesons

A search was made for sub-threshold $J/ψ$ production from a carbon target using a mixed real and quasi-real Bremsstrahlung photon beam with an endpoint energy of 5.76 GeV. No events were observed, which is consistent with predictions assuming quasi-free production. The results place limits on exotic mechanisms that strongly enhance quasi-free production.

nucl-ex↗
arXiv2008

The increase with energy of the parton transverse momenta in the current fragmentation region and related pQCD phenomena in DIS at very high energies

We find, within the pQCD dipole model for DIS processes, a rapid increase with energy of the scale of parton momenta in the current fragmentation region in the limit $s\to \infty$ and fixed $Q^2$ . We explain the equivalence between the dispersion representation over $Q^2$ for LT pQCD zero angle amplitude of $γ^*+T\to γ^*+T$ scattering at large energies and the $k_t$ factorization, and use it to evaluate the scales of the hard processes in the current fragmentation region. We derive within the black disc (BD) regime the modified Gribov formula for the total cross-section of the DIS. We evaluate the coherence length of the processes relevant for the BD regime and find that it increases with energy as $\sim s^{0.6}$ i.e. significantly slower than in the parton model ($1/2m_Nx$ - the Ioffe length) as well as in pQCD. In the BD regime we estimate the gluon densities, local in the coordinate space, and find that they do not decrease with the energy. We discuss briefly how the new pQCD phenomena may reveal itself in the proton-proton collisions at LHC

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Evidence for color fluctuations in the nucleon in high-energy scattering

We study quantum fluctuations of the nucleon's parton densities by combining QCD factorization for hard processes with the notion of cross section fluctuations in soft diffraction. The fluctuations of the small-x gluon density are related to the ratio of inelastic and elastic vector meson production in e-p scattering. A simple dynamical model explains the HERA data and predicts the x- and Q^2-dependence of the ratio. In p-p/pbar-p scattering, fluctuations enhance multiple hard processes (but cannot explain the Tevatron CDF data), and reduce gap survival in central exclusive diffraction.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Proton-nucleus scattering and cross section fluctuations at RHIC and LHC

We consider high-energy proton-heavy nucleus scattering within the framework of the Glauber-Gribov approximation and taking into account cross section fluctuations. Fixing parameters of the model for cross section fluctuations by the available data, we make predictions for the total, elastic and coherent diffractive dissociation proton-nucleus cross sections for the RHIC and LHC energy range. We predict a strong change of the A-dependence of diffraction dissociation from A^{0.42} at RHIC energies to A^{0.27} at LHC energies. Based on the obtained results, we discuss the approach of the interactions to the black body (unitarity) limit. We estimate the electromagnetic contribution to coherent pA diffraction and find that it dominates the coherent diffractive cross section on heavy nuclear targets in the RHIC and LHC kinematics.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Exclusive electroproduction of strange mesons with JLab 12 GeV

We summarize the physics topics which can be addressed by measurements of high-Q^2 exclusive electroproduction of strange mesons, gamma* N -> phi N, K* Lambda, K Lambda, K Sigma, at Jefferson Lab with 11 GeV beam energy. The proposed investigations are aimed both at exploring the reaction mechanism (dominance of point-like configurations) and extracting information about baryon structure from the data (generalized parton distributions, or GPDs). They include (a) probing the t-dependence of the nucleon's gluon GPD (transverse spatial distribution of gluons) in phi meson production; (b) separating the nucleon helicity-flip and nonflip quark GPDs in K* Lambda production with measurement of the Lambda recoil polarization; (c) probing strangeness polarization in the nucleon in K Lambda and K Sigma production. These studies rely only on the analysis of cross section ratios, which are less affected by the theoretical uncertainties of present GPD-based calculations than absolute cross sections.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2008

Color Transparency in Semi-Inclusive Electroproduction of rho Mesons

We study the electroproduction of rho mesons in nuclei at intermediate energies, deriving a treatment of the energy lost by the rho in each step of multiple-scattering. This enables a close match between calculations and the experimental kinematic conditions. A standard Glauber calculation is presented, and then the effects of color-transparency are included. The influence of poor experimental resolution on the extracted transparency is assessed. The effects of $ρ$ meson decay inside the nucleus are examined, and are typically about 5 percent at most. This effect disappears rapidly as $Q^2$ increases from about 1 to 3 GeV$^2$, causing a rise in the transparency that is not attributable to color transparency. The size of color transparency effects for C and Fe nuclei is studied for values of $Q^2$ up to 10 GeV$^2$. The detailed results depend strongly on the assumed value of the $ρN$ cross section. The overall effects of color transparency are greater than about 10 % for both nuclear targets if $Q^2$ is greater than about 5 GeV$^2$.

nucl-th↗
arXiv2007

Toward an effective centrality trigger in pp collisions at LHC

We investigate the impact of very strong small x gluon fields in colliding nucleons at LHC energies on the interaction of valence quarks. We find that in the range of small impact parameters, which contribute significantly to the production of heavy new particles, several of the valence quarks receive large transverse momenta, exceeding 1 GeV/c. This results in a suppression of leading baryon production and consequently in an additional energy flow to smaller rapidities. We suggest several triggers for centrality in pp collisions which allow one to study the propagation of partons through gluon fields of a strength comparable to the ones encountered in heavy ion collisions at the LHC.

hep-ph↗
arXiv2007

Rapidity gap survival in the black-disk regime

We summarize how the approach to the black--disk regime (BDR) of strong interactions at TeV energies influences rapidity gap survival in exclusive hard diffraction pp--> p + H + p (H =dijet, \bar Q Q, Higgs). Employing a recently developed partonic description of such processes, we discuss (a) the suppression of diffraction at small impact parameters by soft spectator interactions in the BDR; (b) further suppression by inelastic interactions of hard spectator partons in the BDR; (c) effects of correlations between hard and soft interactions, as suggested by various models of proton structure (color fluctuations, spatial correlations of partons). Hard spectator interactions in the BDR substantially reduce the rapidity gap survival probability at LHC energies compared to previously reported estimates.

hep-ph↗