Multiparton pp and pA collisions -- from geometry to parton-- parton correlations

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding multiparton interactions in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions, incorporating geometric and correlation effects, and compares predictions with experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive approach to calculate multiparton cross sections using generalized parton distributions, including perturbative and nonperturbative correlations, and applies it to collider data.

Findings

Mean field approximation fails to explain data.

Perturbative correlations enhance cross sections by 1.5-2 times.

Nonperturbative correlations become significant at very small x.

Abstract

We derive expressions for the cross section of the multiparton interactions based on the analysis of the relevant Feynman diagrams. We express the cross sections through the double (triple, ...) generalized parton distributions (GPDs). In the mean field approximation for the double GPDs the answer is expressed through the integral over two gluon form factor which was measured in the exclusive DIS vector meson production.We explain under what conditions the derived expressions correspond to an intuitive picture of hard interactions in the impact parameter representation. The mean field approximation in which correlations of the partons are neglected fail to explain the data, while pQCD induced correlation enhance large $p_\perp$ and $ 0.001 < x < 0.1$ typically enhance the cross section by a factor of 1.5 -- 2 explaining the current data. We argue that in the small x kinematics ($10^{-4} \le x \le 10^{-3}$) where effects of perturbative correlations diminish, the nonperturbative mechanism kicks in and generates positive correlations comparable in magnitude with the perturbative ones. We explain how our technique can be used for calculations of MPI in the proton - nucleus scattering. The interplay of hard interactions and underlying event is discussed, as well as different geometric pictures for each of MPI mechanisms-pQCD, nonperturbative correlations and mean field. Predictions for value of \effs for various processes and a wide range of kinematics are given. We show that together different MPI mechanisms give good description of experimental data, both at Tvatron, and LHC, including the central kinematics studied by ATLAS and CMS detectors, and forward (heavy flavors) kinematics studied by LHCb.