J/psi-Pair Production at Large Momenta: Indications for Double-Parton Scatterings and Large alpha_s^5 Contributions

TL;DR

This paper analyzes J/psi-pair production at high momenta, highlighting the roles of single and double parton scatterings, and introduces new calculations for higher-order contributions to reconcile theory with experimental data.

Contribution

It provides the first exact gauge-invariant evaluation of certain NNLO contributions and clarifies the roles of DPS and SPS mechanisms in J/psi-pair production.

Findings

NLO single parton scattering dominates at large transverse momenta.

Double parton scatterings are crucial at large rapidity differences and invariant masses.

New gauge-invariant NNLO calculations help explain experimental discrepancies.

Abstract

We demonstrate that the recent studies of J/psi-pair production by CMS at the LHC and by D0 at the Tevatron reveal the presence of different production mechanisms in different kinematical regions. We find out that next-to-leading-order single parton scattering contributions at alpha_s^5 dominate the yield at large transverse momenta of the pair. Our analysis further emphasises the importance of double parton scatterings --which are expected to dominate the yield at large J/psi-rapidity differences-- at large invariant masses of the pair in the CMS acceptance, and thereby solve a large discrepancy between the theory and the CMS data. In addition, we provide the first exact --gauge-invariant and infrared-safe-- evaluation of a class of leading-P_T (P_T^-4) next-to-next-to-leading-order contributions at alpha_s^6, which can be relevant in the region of large values of P_T,min=min(P_T1,P_T2). Finally, we derive simple relations for the feed-down fractions from the production of an excited charmonium state with a J/psi in the case of the dominance of the double parton scatterings, which significantly deviate from those for single parton scatterings. Such relations can be used to discriminate these extreme scenari, either DPS or SPS dominance.