Measuring the saturation scale in nuclei

TL;DR

This paper links the nuclear saturation momentum to transverse momentum broadening of partons, providing a theoretical framework that aligns well with experimental data on Drell-Yan and heavy quarkonium production.

Contribution

It introduces an equation within the color dipole approach that incorporates saturation effects, accurately describing broadening phenomena in nuclear reactions.

Findings

Equation successfully describes experimental broadening data

Saturation effects are crucial for understanding parton propagation

Model aligns with observations in Drell-Yan and quarkonium production

Abstract

The saturation momentum seeing in the nuclear infinite momentum frame is directly related to transverse momentum broadening of partons propagating through the medium in the nuclear rest frame. Calculation of broadening within the color dipole approach including the effects of saturation in the nucleus, gives rise to an equation which describes well data on broadening in Drell-Yan reaction and heavy quarkonium production.