Central exclusive meson production in proton-proton collisions in ALICE at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper reviews the study of central exclusive meson production in proton-proton collisions at the LHC, focusing on the identification of events with a double-gap topology and the analysis of pomeron-pomeron fusion processes.

Contribution

It presents the models describing central exclusive production and details the ALICE Collaboration's efforts to analyze double-gap events from Run 2 data.

Findings

Identification of double-gap events at LHC energies.

Insights into pomeron-pomeron fusion mechanisms.

Progress in modeling exclusive meson production.

Abstract

Central exclusive production at hadron colliders is characterised by the hadronic state produced at or close to midrapidity, and by the two forward scattered protons, or remnants thereof. No particles are produced between the midrapidity system and the forward going beam particles, and such events can hence be identified experimentally by a double-gap topology. At LHC energies, central exclusive production in proton-proton collisions is dominated by pomeron-pomeron fusion. The models to describe such reactions are reviewed, and the ongoing efforts in the ALICE Collaboration to analyse double-gap events taken in Run 2 at the LHC are presented.