High-energy physics with particles carrying non-zero orbital angular momentum

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of particles with non-zero orbital angular momentum in high-energy physics, proposing new methods to analyze scattering processes and gain insights into particle structure.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of using OAM-carrying particles in high-energy collisions and demonstrates how they enable Fourier analysis of cross sections and access to autocorrelation functions.

Findings

OAM enables Fourier analysis of scattering cross sections.

OAM allows probing of autocorrelation functions in particle interactions.

Potential to reveal new particle structure insights.

Abstract

Thanks to progress in optics in the past two decades, it is possible to create photons carrying well-defined non-zero orbital angular momentum (OAM). Boosting these photons into high-energy range preserving their OAM seems feasible. Intermediate energy electrons with OAM have also been produced recently. One can, therefore, view OAM as a new degree of freedom in high-energy collisions and ask what novel insights into particles' structure and interactions it can bring. Here we discuss generic features of scattering processes involving particles with OAM in the initial state. We show that they make it possible to perform a Fourier analysis of a plane wave cross section with respect to the azimuthal angles of the initial particles, and to probe the autocorrelation function of the amplitude, a quantity inaccessible in plane wave collisions.