$\eta_c'$ Hadroproduction at Next-to-Leading Order and its Relevance to $\psi'$ Production

TL;DR

This paper presents the first next-to-leading order study of prompt $ ext{η}_c'$ hadroproduction at the LHC, highlighting its importance for understanding $ ext{ψ}'$ production and quarkonium phenomenology.

Contribution

It introduces the first NLO analysis of $ ext{η}_c'$ production and demonstrates its relevance for constraining $ ext{ψ}'$ production using existing LHC data.

Findings

Prompt $ ext{η}_c'$ can be studied at the LHC with current data.

$ ext{η}_c'$ production data can constrain $ ext{ψ}'$ production models.

The study impacts quarkonium production phenomenology.

Abstract

We proceed to the first study of $\eta_c'$ prompt hadroproduction at next-to-leading order in $\alpha_s$. Based on heavy-quark-spin symmetry, which is systematically used in quarkonium-production phenomenology, we demonstrate that prompt $\eta_c'$ can be studied at the LHC with the existing data. We emphasize its relevance to constrain $\psi'$ production, in the same way as the first prompt $\eta_c'$ data at the LHC lately strongly impacted the phenomenology of $J/\psi$ studies.