High-Energy QCD Asymptotics of Photon-Photon Collisions

The high-energy behaviour of the total cross section for highly virtual photons, as predicted by the BFKL equation at next-to-leading order (NLO) in QCD, is discussed. The NLO BFKL predictions, improved by the BLM optimal scale setting, are in good agreement with recent OPAL and L3 data at CERN LEP2. NLO BFKL predictions for future linear colliders are presented.Comment: Latex, 7 pages, 4 figure

On BLM scale fixing in exclusive processes

We discuss the BLM scale fixing procedure in exclusive electroproduction processes in the Bjorken regime. We show that in the case of vector meson production the usual way to aplly the BLM method fails due to singularities present in equations fixing the BLM scale. We argue that the BLM scale should be extracted from the squared amplitudes which are directly related to observables.Comment: accepted for the publication in Eur.Phys.J.

Partonic calculation of the two-photon exchange contribution to elastic electron-proton scattering at large momentum transfer

We estimate the two-photon exchange contribution to elastic electron-proton scattering at large momentum transfer through the scattering off a parton in the proton. We relate the process on the nucleon to the generalized parton distributions which also enter in other wide angle scattering processes. We find that when taking the polarization transfer determinations of the form factors as input, adding in the 2 photon correction, does reproduce the Rosenbluth data.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

High Energy Photon-Photon Collisions at a Linear Collider

High intensity back-scattered laser beams will allow the efficient conversion of a substantial fraction of the incident lepton energy into high energy photons, thus significantly extending the physics capabilities of an electron-electron or electron-positron linear collider. The annihilation of two photons produces C=+ final states in virtually all angular momentum states. The annihilation of polarized photons into the Higgs boson determines its fundamental two-photon coupling as well as determining its parity. Other novel two-photon processes include the two-photon production of charged lepton pairs, vector boson pairs, as well as supersymmetric squark and slepton pairs and Higgstrahlung. The one-loop box diagram leads to the production of pairs of neutral particles. High energy photon-photon collisions can also provide a remarkably background-free laboratory for studying possibly anomalous $W W$ collisions and annihilation. In the case of QCD, each photon can materialize as a quark anti-quark pair which interact via multiple gluon exchange. The diffractive channels in photon-photon collisions allow a novel look at the QCD pomeron and odderon. Odderon exchange can be identified by looking at the heavy quark asymmetry. In the case of electron-photon collisions, one can measure the photon structure functions and its various components. Exclusive hadron production processes in photon-photon collisions test QCD at the amplitude level and measure the hadron distribution amplitudes which control exclusive semi-leptonic and two-body hadronic B-decays.Comment: Invited talk, presented at the 5th International Workshop On Electron-Electron Interactions At TeV Energies, Santa Cruz, California, 12-14 December 200

New nuclear three-body clusters \phi{NN}

Binding energies of three-body systems of the type \phi+2N are estimated. Due to the strong attraction between \phi-meson and nucleon, suggested in different approaches, bound states can appear in systems like \phi+np (singlet and triplet) and \phi+pp. This indicates the principal possibility of the formation of new nuclear clusters

Theoretical Uncertainties in Gamma_sl(b->u)

I review the existing theoretical uncertainties in relating the semileptonic decay width in b->u transitions to the underlying Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing element |V_ub|. The theoretical error bars are only a few percent in |V_ub|, with uncertainties from the impact of the nonperturbative effects nearly negligible.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX; discussion of 1/m_b^3 effects is expanded. Contribution to Workshop on the Derivation of |V_cb| and |V_ub|: Experimental Status and Theory Uncertainties, CERN, May 28 - June 2, 199

The half-filled Landau level - composite fermions and dipoles

The composite-fermion approach as formulated in the fermion Chern-Simons theory has been very successful in describing the physics of the lowest Landau level near Landau level filling factor 1/2. Recent work has emphasized the fact that the true quasiparticles at these filling factors are electrically neutral and carry an electric dipole moment. In a previous work, we discussed at length two formulations in terms of dipolar quasiparticles. Here we briefly review one approach - termed electron-centered quasiparticles - and show how it can be extended from 1/2 to nearby filling factors where the quasiparticles carry both an electric dipole moment and an overall charge.Comment: 10 pages, minor improvements of notation and referencin

Gluon Virtuality and Heavy Sea Quark Contributions to the Spin-Dependent g_1 Structure Function

We analyze the quark mass dependence of photon gluon fusion in polarized deep inelastic scattering for both the intrinsic and extrinsic gluon distributions of the nucleon. We calculate the effective number of flavors for each of the heavy and light quark photon gluon fusion contributions to the first moment of the spin-dependent structure function $g_1(x)$.Comment: LaTex, 19 page

Non-Abelian Dipole Radiation and the Heavy Quark Expansion

Dipole radiation in QCD is derived to the second order in $\alpha_s$. A power-like evolution of the spin-singlet heavy quark operators is obtained to the same accuracy. In particular, ${\cal O}(\alpha_s^2)$ relation between a short-distance low-scale running heavy quark mass and the \barMS mass is given. We discuss the properties of the effective QCD coupling \aw(E) which governs the dipole radiation. This coupling is advantageous for heavy quark physics.Comment: 12 pages, Late

Ultimate parameters of the photon collider at the ILC

At linear colliders, the e+e- luminosity is limited by beam-collision effects, which determine the required emittances of beams in damping rings (DRs). While in gamma-gamma collisions at the photon collider, these effects are absent, and so smaller emittances are desirable. In present damping rings designs, nominal DR parameters correspond to those required for e+e- collisions. In this note, I would like to stress once again that as soon as we plan the photon-collider mode of ILC operation, the damping-ring emittances are dictated by the photon-collider requirements--namely, they should be as small as possible. This can be achieved by adding more wigglers to the DRs; the incremental cost is easily justified by a considerable potential improvement of the gamma-gamma luminosity. No expert analysis exists as of yet, but it seems realistic to obtain a factor five increase of the gamma-gamma luminosity compared to the ``nominal'' DR design.Comment: Talk at LCWS06, Bangalore, India, March 2006, to be published in Indian Journal of Physics, 5 pp, Latex, 1 .eps figur