Forward photon measurements in ALICE as a probe for low-x gluons

TL;DR

This paper discusses the proposal of a new forward calorimeter (FoCal) for ALICE to measure direct photons in proton-proton and proton-lead collisions, aiming to better constrain low-x gluon PDFs and explore gluon saturation effects.

Contribution

It introduces the design and physics case for a high-resolution electromagnetic calorimeter to measure forward direct photons at the LHC, enhancing understanding of low-x gluon structure.

Findings

Proposal of FoCal detector for ALICE

Potential to constrain low-x PDFs

Insights into gluon saturation phenomena

Abstract

The low-x gluon density in the proton and, in particular, in nuclei is only very poorly constrained, while a better understanding of the low-x structure is crucial for measurements at the LHC and also for the planning of experiments at future hadron colliders. In addition, deviations from linear QCD evolution are expected to appear at low x, potentially leading to gluon saturation and a universal state of hadronic matter, the color-glass condensate. However, these effects have not been unambiguously proven to date. Fortunately, data from the LHC can be used directly to provide better constraints of the parton distribution functions (PDFs). In this context, a Forward Calorimeter (FoCal) is proposed as an addition to the ALICE experiment, to be installed in the Long Shutdown 3. The main goal of the FoCal proposal is to measure forward direct photons in pp and p-Pb collisions to obtain experimental constraints on proton and nuclear PDFs in a new region of low x. Based on the current knowledge from DIS experiments and first results from LHC, we will discuss the physics case for this proposed detector. While open charm measurements do provide important constraints, a photon measurement would provide additional unique information. The direct photon measurement requires a new electromagnetic calorimeter with extremely high granularity. The corresponding innovative design principle of a high-resolution Si-W sandwich calorimeter is discussed.