Diffractive gauge bosons production beyond QCD factorisation

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the production of diffractive gauge bosons in proton-proton collisions using the color dipole approach, revealing a breakdown of QCD factorization and explaining experimental data without free parameters.

Contribution

It introduces a novel application of the color dipole approach to diffractive gauge boson production, highlighting the breakdown of QCD factorization beyond traditional models.

Findings

Breakdown of diffractive QCD factorization due to interplay of hard and soft interactions

Successful explanation of CDF data on W and Z diffractive production without free parameters

Predictions of diffractive cross sections as functions of momentum and invariant mass

Abstract

We discuss single diffractive gauge bosons ($\gamma^*,\,W^{\pm},\,Z$) production in proton-proton collisions at different (LHC and RHIC) energies within the color dipole approach. The calculations are performed for gauge bosons produced at forward rapidities. The diffractive cross section is predicted as function of fractional momentum and invariant mass of the lepton pair. We found a dramatic breakdown of the diffractive QCD factorisation caused by an interplay of hard and soft interactions. Data from the CDF experiment on diffractive production of $W$ and $Z$ are well explained in a parameter free way.