Central Production with Tagged Forward Protons and the Star Detector at RHIC

TL;DR

This paper presents a setup at RHIC's STAR detector that enables the detection of very forward protons using Roman Pots, facilitating the study of central production processes involving colorless gluonic exchanges, including elastic and inelastic diffraction.

Contribution

It introduces a novel configuration combining Roman Pots with the STAR detector to extend its physics capabilities to measure forward protons and central production of gluonic states.

Findings

Enhanced detection of forward protons at RHIC.

Capability to study elastic and inelastic diffraction processes.

Potential to observe gluonic matter and exotic states.

Abstract

We describe a setup which will allow extend the physics reach of the STAR detector at RHIC to include the measurement of very forward protons. Tagging on very forward protons, detected by the Roman Pots at RHIC energies, selects processes, in which the proton stays intact and the exchange is dominated by one with the quantum numbers of the vacuum, thus enhancing the probability of measuring reactions where colorless gluonic matter dominates the exchange. The processes include both elastic and inelastic diffraction. The capabilities of the STAR detector to detect Gleuballs and Exotics in central production mechanism are described.