Transverse nucleon structure and diagnostics of hard parton-parton processes at LHC

Journal Article · Tue Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Phys. Rev. D

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.83.054012· OSTI ID:1010302

We propose a new method to determine at what transverse momenta particle production in high-energy pp collisions is governed by hard parton-parton processes. Using information on the transverse spatial distribution of partons obtained from hard exclusive processes in ep/\gamma p scattering, we evaluate the impact parameter distribution of pp collisions with a hard parton-parton process as a function of p_T of the produced parton (jet). We find that the average pp impact parameters in such events depend very weakly on p_T in the range 2 < p_T < few 100 GeV, while they are much smaller than those in minimum-bias inelastic collisions. The impact parameters in turn govern the observable transverse multiplicity in such events (in the direction perpendicular to the trigger particle or jet). Measuring the transverse multiplicity as a function of p_T thus provides an effective tool for determining the minimum p_T for which a given trigger particle originates from a hard parton-parton process.

• Research Organization: Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-06OR23177
• OSTI ID: 1010302
• Report Number(s): JLAB-THY-10-1228; DOE/OR/23177-1314; arXiv:1009.2559
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. D, Journal Name: Phys. Rev. D Journal Issue: 05 Vol. 83; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 1550-7998
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
DISTRIBUTION
IMPACT PARAMETER
MULTIPLICITY
NUCLEONS
PARTICLE PRODUCTION
SCATTERING
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION