Pion and Kaon Production in Nucleon - Nucleon Collisions

Inclusive cross section for pion production in proton - proton collisions are calculated based on unintegrated parton distribution functions (uPDFs). In addition to purely gluonic terms the present approach includes also quark degrees of freedom. Phenomenological fragmentation functions from the literature are used. The new mechanisms are responsible for $\pi^+$ - $\pi^-$ asymmetry. In contrast to standard collinear approach, application of 2 $\to$ 1 $k_t$ - factorization approach can be extended towards much lower transverse momenta, both at mid and forward rapidity region. The results of the calculation are compared with SPS and RHIC data.Comment: a talk presented by Marta Tichoruk at the international conference MESON2006, Cracow, June 2006, 5 pages, 3 figure

Reggeons in diffractive interactions in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

The "triple-Regge" analysis of subleading Reggeon contributions to the diffractive structure function in DIS at HERA is presented. The recently published data allow to estimate the only free parameter of the analysis related to the ratio of the RRP and PPP couplings. The large value of this ratio is prefered which is in agreement with analyses of soft hadronic interactions. The role of the subleading Reggeons as well as pions for the fast forward neutron production in diffractive processes is estimated. The forward piN state production is also discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, uses sprocl.sty and epsfig. To be published in Proceedings of the Madrid low-x Workshop, Miraflores de la Sierra, June 18-21,199

Photon-jet correlations in pppp and ppˉp \bar p collisions

We compare results of the $k_t$-factorization approach and the next-to-leading order collinear-factorization approach for photon-jet correlations in $pp$ and $p \bar p$ collisions at RHIC and Tevatron energies. We discuss correlations in the azimuthal angle as well as in the two-dimensional space of transverse momentum of photon and jet. Different unintegrated parton distributions (UPDF) are included in the $k_t$-factorization approach. The results depend on UPDFs used. The standard collinear approach gives cross section comparable to the $k_t$-factorization approach. For correlations of the photon and any jet the NLO contributions dominate at relatively small azimuthal angles as well as for asymmetric transverse momenta. For correlations of the photon with the leading jet (the one having the biggest transverse momentum) the NLO approach gives zero contribution at $\phi_{-} < \pi/2$ which opens a possibility to study higher-order terms and/or UPDFs in this region.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figure

Unintegrated CCFM parton distributions and transverse momentum of gauge bosons

Transverse momentum distribution of gauge bosons $W^{\pm}$ and $Z^0$ is calculated using unintegrated parton distributions obtained by solving leading order CCFM equation(s) in the impact parameter space. For illustration we compare the results of the fixed-order collinear, soft-gluon resummation and CCFM approaches. A parameter of a nonperturbative form factor is adjusted to the D0 data. In contrast to the collinear approach, the leading order calculation based on the unintegrated CCFM parton distributions generates transverse momentum distributions of gauge bosons, which are almost consistent with experimental data provided the parameter of the nonperturbative form factor is appropriately adjusted. The $W^+$-$W^-$ asymmetry is calculated as a function of the boson rapidity and transverse momentum. Predictions are given for RHIC and LHC.Comment: 19 pages, 8 figure

Dijet correlations at RHIC, leading-order ktk_t-factorization approach versus next-to-leading order collinear approach

We compare results of $k_t$-factorization approach and next-to-leading order collinear-factorization approach for dijet correlations in proton-proton collisions at RHIC energies. We discuss correlations in azimuthal angle as well as correlations in two-dimensional space of transverse momenta of two jets. Some $k_t$-factorization subprocesses are included for the first time in the literature. Different unintegrated gluon/parton distributions are used in the $k_t$-factorization approach. The results depend on UGDF/UPDF used. For collinear NLO case the situation depends significantly on whether we consider correlations of any two jets or correlations of leading jets only. In the first case the $2 \to 2$ contributions associated with soft radiations summed up in the $k_t$-factorization approach dominate at $\phi \sim \pi$ and at equal moduli of jet transverse momenta. The collinear NLO $2 \to 3$ contributions dominate over $k_t$-factorization cross section at small relative azimuthal angles as well as for asymmetric transverse momentum configurations. In the second case the NLO contributions vanish at small relative azimuthal angles and/or large jet transverse-momentum disbalance due to simple kinematical constraints. There are no such limitations for the $k_t$-factorization approach. All this makes the two approaches rather complementary. The role of several cuts is discussed and quantified.Comment: 26 pages, 17 figure

Exclusive π+π−\pi^+\pi^- Production at the LHC with Forward Proton Tagging

A process of Central Exclusive $\pi^+\pi^-$ production in proton-proton collisions and its theoretical description is presented. A possibility of its measurement, during the special low luminosity LHC runs, with the help of the ATLAS central detector for measuring pions and the ALFA stations for tagging the scattered protons is studied. A visible cross section is estimated to be 21 $\mu$b for $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, which gives over 2000 events for 100 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity. Differential distributions in pion pseudorapidities, pion and proton transverse momenta as well as $\pi^+\pi^-$ invariant mass are shown and discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure