Diffractive upsilon production at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper calculates the rate of diffractive upsilon meson production at the LHC and Tevatron, highlighting the potential to measure gamma p cross-sections and observe saturation effects at high energies.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed prediction of diffractive upsilon production rates at the LHC, considering the use of low angle proton detectors for gamma p cross-section measurements.

Findings

Measurement of cross-section possible at >1 TeV at LHC

Potential to observe saturation effects in gamma p interactions

Feasibility of using proton detectors for such measurements

Abstract

We compute the rate for diffractive upsilon meson production at the Tevatron and the LHC. The upsilon is produced diffractively via the subprocess gamma + p -> upsilon + p where the initial photon is radiated off an incoming proton (or antiproton). We consider the possibility to use low angle proton detectors to make a measurement of the gamma p cross-section and conclude that a measurement of the cross-section at a centre of mass energy in excess of 1 TeV is possible at the LHC. This is in the region where saturation effects are likely to reveal themselves.