Photoproduction of a \pi \rho Pair and Transversity GPDs

We demonstrate that the chiral-odd transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the nucleon can be accessed through the exclusive photoproduction process gamma + N -> pi + rho + N', in the kinematics where the meson pair has a large invariant mass and the final nucleon has a small transverse momentum, provided the vector meson is produced in a transversely polarized state. We calculate perturbatively the scattering amplitude at leading order in alpha_s: We build a simple model for the dominant transversity GPD HT (x; chi; t) based on the concept of double distribution. Counting rates estimates show that the experiment looks feasible with the real photon beam characteristics expected at JLab@12 GeV, in low Q2 leptoproduction at Jlab@12 GeV and in the COMPASS experiment.Comment: Latex, 7 pages, 4 .eps figs, Invited talk at the 4th Workshop on Exclusive Reactions at High Momentum Transfer May 18-21, 2010 Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, Virginia US

On chiral-odd Generalized Parton Distributions

While the chiral-even content of the nucleon is better and better studied, the chiral-odd transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs) remain almost unknown. These GPDs can be accessed experimentally through the exclusive photoproduction process gamma + N -> pi + rho + N', in the kinematics where the meson pair has a large invariant mass and the final nucleon has a small transverse momentum, provided the vector meson is produced in a transversally polarized state. We calculate perturbatively the scattering amplitude at leading order in alpha_s. We build a simple model for the dominant transversity GPD H_T(x,xi,t) based on the concept of double distribution. We estimate the unpolarized differential cross section for this process in the kinematics of the Jlab and COMPASS experiments. Counting rates show that the experiment looks feasible with the real and quasi real photon beam characteristics expected at JLab@12 GeV, and with the quasi real photon beam in the COMPASS experiment.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of 35th International Conference on High Energy Physics, (ICHEP 2010), Paris, France, July 22-28, 201

Chiral-odd transversity GPDs from a leading twist hard amplitude

The chiral-odd transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the nucleon can be accessed experimentally through the exclusive photoproduction process gamma + N -> pi + rho + N', in the kinematics where the meson pair has a large invariant mass and the final nucleon has a small transverse momentum, provided the vector meson is produced in a transversally polarized state. We calculate perturbatively the scattering amplitude at leading order in alpha_s. We build a simple model for the dominant transversity GPD H_T(x,xi,t) based on the concept of double distribution. We estimate the unpolarized differential cross section for this process in the kinematics of the Jlab and COMPASS experiments. Counting rates show that the experiment looks feasible with the real photon beam characteristics expected at JLab@12 GeV, and with the quasi real photon beam in the COMPASS experiment.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of 18th International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS 2010), Florence, Italy, 19-23 Apr 201

Probing photon structure in DVCS on a photon target

The factorization of the amplitude for the deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) process gamma*(Q) gamma -> gamma gamma at high Q2 is demonstrated in two distinct kinematical domains, allowing to define the photon generalized parton distributions and the diphoton generalized distribution amplitudes. Both these quantities exhibit an anomalous scaling behaviour and obey new inhomogeneous QCD evolution equations.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, to be published in the proceedings of the PANIC 2008 conference, Eilat (Israel), November 200

New ways to access the transverse spin content of the nucleon

We first describe a new way to access the chiral odd transversity parton distribution in the proton through the photoproduction of lepton pairs. The basic ingredient is the interference of the usual Bethe-Heitler or Drell-Yan amplitudes with the amplitude of a process, where the photon couples to quarks through its chiral-odd distribution amplitude, which is normalized to the magnetic susceptibility of the QCD vacuum. We also show how the chiral-odd transversity generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of the nucleon can be accessed experimentally through the exclusive electro - or photoproduction process of a meson pair with a large invariant mass and when the final nucleon has a small transverse momentum. We calculate perturbatively the scattering amplitude at leading order, both in the high energy domain which may be accessed in electron-ion colliders and in the medium energy range. Estimated rates are encouraging.Comment: 6 pages, Proceedings of Spin 2010, 19th International Spin Physics Symposium September 27 - October 2, 2010, J\"ulich, German

Diphoton Generalized Distribution Amplitudes

We calculate the leading order diphoton generalized distribution amplitude by calculating the amplitude of the process gamma* gamma -> gamma gamma in the low energy and high photon virtuality region at the Born order and in the leading logarithmic approximation. As in the case of the anomalous photon structure functions, the gamma gamma generalized distribution amplitude exhibits a characteristic \ln Q^2 behaviour and obeys inhomogeneous evolution equations.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Two Photon Distribution Amplitudes

The factorization of the amplitude of the process gamma* gamma -> gamma gamma in the low energy and high photon virtuality region is demonstrated at the Born order and in the leading logarithmic approximation. The leading order two photon (generalized) distribution amplitudes exhibit a characteristic ln Q2 behaviour and obey new inhomogeneous evolution equations.Comment: to be published in the proceedings of the workshop HLPW08, Spa, March 6-8, 2008, AIP conference proceedings serie

Generalized Parton Distributions of the Photon

We present a first calculation of the generalized parton distributions of the photon(both polarized and unpolarized) using overlaps of light-front wave functions at leading order in \alpha and zeroth order in \alpha_s; for non-zero transverse momentum transfer and zero skewness. We present the novel parton content of the photon in transverse position space.Comment: Numerical analysis repeated at a higher scale, discussions slightly modifie

Tensor form factors of nucleon in QCD

We extract the isovector tensor nucleon form factors, which play an important role in understanding the transverse spin structure of the nucleon when related to the quark helicity-flip generalized parton distributions via their first moments. We employ the light-cone QCD sum rules to leading order in QCD and include distribution amplitudes up to twist 6 in order to calculate the three tensor form factors $H_T$, $E_T$ and $\tilde{H}_T$. Our results agree well with those from other approaches in the low and high momentum-transfer regions.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure; minor changes, matches journal versio