Hard exclusive production of a vector meson

The processes of a light neutral vector meson, V=\rho^0, \omega, \phi, electroproduction and a heavy quarkonium, V=J/\Psi, \Upsilon, photoproduction are studied in the framework of QCD factorization. We derive a complete set of hard-scattering amplitudes which describe these processes at next-to-leading order (NLO).Comment: 3 pages, prepared for Diffraction 2004, International Workshop on Diffraction in High-Energy Physics, Cala Gonone, Sardinia, Italy, September 18 - 23, 200

Light vector meson photoproduction at large t

We have studied in perturbative QCD all independent helicity amplitudes describing the photoproduction of light vector mesons at large $t$. We found a new hard production mechanism which is related to the possibility for a real photon to fluctuate into a massless $q\bar q$ pair in a chiral-odd spin configuration. Each helicity amplitude is given as a sum of a usual chiral-even contribution (when the helicities of quark and antiquark are antiparallel) and this additional chiral-odd part (where the helicities of quark and antiquark are parallel). The chiral-odd contribution is large, it leads to a dominance of the non spin-flip amplitude in a very broad region of intermediately high $|t|$. All amplitudes are expressed in terms of short distance asymptotics of the light-cone wave functions of vector meson (photon). We demonstrate that for each helicity amplitude there exists a soft non-factorizable contribution. We give arguments that for dominant non spin-flip helicity amplitude the relative contribution of the soft nonfactorizable interactions is numerically not large.Comment: 21 pages LATEX, 2 .eps figures, the colour factor of chiral-odd contributions is corrected, qualitative results remain unchange

Production of e+e−e^+e^- pairs to all orders in ZαZ\alpha for collisions of high-energy muons with heavy nuclei

The $e^+e^-$ pair production in collisions of muon with atoms is considered to all orders in the parameter $Z\alpha$. We obtain energy distribution of $e^+$ and $e^-$ as well as energy loss of muon passing through matter with heavy atoms. The found corrections to the Born contribution do not depend on the details of the target properties except of a simple factor. For the considered example of Pb target the muon energy loss corrections vary from -65 % to -10 % depending on the pair energy.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, LaTex; Introduction slightly enlarged, 2 references adde

Coulomb corrections and multiple e+e- pair production in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions

We consider the problem of Coulomb corrections to the inclusive cross section. We show that these corrections in the limiting case of small charge number of one of the nuclei coincide with those to the exclusive cross section. Within our approach we also obtain the Coulomb corrections for the case of large charge numbers of both nuclei.Comment: 7 pages, REVTeX

QCD factorization for the pion diffractive dissociation to two jets

We calculate the cross section of a pion diffraction dissociation in two jets with large transverse momenta originating from a hard gluon exchange between the pion constituents. To the leading logarithmic accuracy (in energy), the contribution coming from small transverse separations between the quark and the antiquark in the pion acquires the expected factorized form, the longitudinal momentum distribution of the jets being proportional to the pion distribution amplitude. The hard gluon exchange can in this case be considered as a part of the unintegrated gluon distribution. Beyond the leading logarithms (in energy) this proportionality does not hold. Moreover, the collinear factorization appears to be broken by the end-point singularities. Remarkably enough, the longitudinal momentum distribution of the jets for the non-factorizable contribution is calculable, and turns out to be the same as for the factorizable contribution with the asymptotic pion distribution amplitude.Comment: Original version from 9 April restore

Proton dissociation into three jets

We explore the possibility to observe hard exclusive three-jet production in early LHC runs, corresponding to diffractive dissociation of the incident proton into three jets with large but compensating transverse momenta. This process is sensitive to the proton unintegrated gluon distribution at small x and to the distribution of the three valence quarks in the proton at small transverse distances. The corresponding cross section is calculated using an approach based on k_t factorization. According to our estimates, observation of hard diffractive three-jet production at LHC is feasible for jet transverse momenta q_perp \sim 5 GeV.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Electroproduction of two light vector mesons in next-to-leading BFKL: study of systematic effects

The forward electroproduction of two light vector mesons is the first example of a collision process between strongly interacting colorless particles for which the amplitude can be written completely within perturbative QCD in the Regge limit with next-to-leading accuracy. In a previous paper we have given a numerical determination of the amplitude in the case of equal photon virtualities by using a definite representation for the amplitude and a definite optimization method for the perturbative series. Here we estimate the systematic uncertainty of our previous determination, by considering a different representation of the amplitude and different optimization methods of the perturbative series. Moreover, we compare our result for the differential cross section at the minimum momentum transfer with a different approach, based on collinear kernel improvement.Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures; journal version, new figures and discussion adde

Contribution of α2\alpha^2-terms to the total interaction cross sections of relativistic elementary atoms with atoms of matter

It is shown that the corrections of $\alpha^2$ order to the total cross sections for interaction of elementary hydrogen-like atoms with target atoms, reported in the previously published paper [S.Mrowczynski, Phys.Rev. D36, 1520 (1987)], do not include some terms of the same order of magnitude. That results in a significant contribution of these corrections in particular cases. The full $\alpha^2$-corrections have been derived and it is shown that they are really small and could be omitted for most practical applications.Comment: 5 page

The next-to-leading order forward jet vertex in the small-cone approximation

We consider within QCD collinear factorization the process p+p to jet + jet +X, where two forward high-$p_T$ jets are produced with a large separation in rapidity $\Delta y$ (Mueller-Navelet jets). In this case the (calculable) hard part of the reaction receives large higher-order corrections $\sim \alpha^n_s (\Delta y)^n$, which can be accounted for in the BFKL approach. In particular, we calculate in the next-to-leading order the impact factor (vertex) for the production of a forward high-$p_T$ jet, in the approximation of small aperture of the jet cone in the pseudorapidity-azimuthal angle plane. The final expression for the vertex turns out to be simple and easy to implement in numerical calculations.Comment: 32 pages, 4 figures; a few comments and one reference added; a few inessential misprints removed; version to appear on JHE

On the pion electroproduction amplitude

We analyze amplitudes for the pion electroproduction on proton derived from Lagrangians based on the local chiral SU(2) x SU(2) symmetries. We show that such amplitudes do contain information on the nucleon axial form factor F_A in both soft and hard pion regimes. This result invalidates recent Haberzettl's claim that the pion electroproduction at threshold cannot be used to extract any information regarding F_A.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, revised version, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.