Parton model versus color dipole formulation of the Drell-Yan process

In the kinematical region where the center of mass energy is much larger than all other scales, the Drell-Yan process can be formulated in the target rest frame in terms of the same color dipole cross section as low Bjorken-x deep inelastic scattering. Since the mechanisms for heavy dilepton production appear very different in the dipole approach and in the conventional parton model, one may wonder whether these two formulations really represent the same physics. We perform a comparison of numerical calculations in the color dipole approach with calculations in the next-to-leading order parton model. For proton-proton scattering, the results are very similar at low x_2 from fixed target to RHIC energies, confirming the close connection between these two very different approaches. We also compare the transverse momentum distributions of Drell-Yan dileptons predicted in both formulations. The range of applicability of the dipole formulation and the impact of future Drell-Yan data from RHIC for determining the color dipole cross section are discussed. A detailed derivation of the dipole formulation of the Drell-Yan process is also included.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figure

Conformal collider physics: Energy and charge correlations

We study observables in a conformal field theory which are very closely related to the ones used to describe hadronic events at colliders. We focus on the correlation functions of the energies deposited on calorimeters placed at a large distance from the collision. We consider initial states produced by an operator insertion and we study some general properties of the energy correlation functions for conformal field theories. We argue that the small angle singularities of energy correlation functions are controlled by the twist of non-local light-ray operators with a definite spin. We relate the charge two point function to a particular moment of the parton distribution functions appearing in deep inelastic scattering. The one point energy correlation functions are characterized by a few numbers. For ${\cal N}=1$ superconformal theories the one point function for states created by the R-current or the stress tensor are determined by the two parameters $a$ and $c$ characterizing the conformal anomaly. Demanding that the measured energies are positive we get bounds on $a/c$. We also give a prescription for computing the energy and charge correlation functions in theories that have a gravity dual. The prescription amounts to probing the falling string state as it crosses the $AdS$ horizon with gravitational shock waves. In the leading, two derivative, gravity approximation the energy is uniformly distributed on the sphere at infinity, with no fluctuations. We compute the stringy corrections and we show that they lead to small, non-gaussian, fluctuations in the energy distribution. Corrections to the one point functions or antenna patterns are related to higher derivative corrections in the bulk.Comment: 73 pages, 8 figures; v2: minor changes and added references; v3: more references adde

Journey to DOR: a retro science-fiction story on researching eprescribing

The core of this paper is a science fiction short story. We are on planet DOR. A group of scientists are working on an experiment, changing underlying mechanisms of transmissions of a colossus machine – a complex system of gears and levers, wires and pipes. Some of its mechanisms are also known as D for Doctors, F for Pharmacists, P for Patients. Observers travel from Earth to study the experiment. Their dilemmas are unaided by their advanced research tools. The story is inspired by research carried out for the evaluation of the forthcoming Electronic Prescription Service in England (UK). Our fiction is fiction, but it is also a methodological means, a reflexive lever to elaborate and explore our research texts and to question the feasibility, meaning and impact of researching future technology