Impact parameter dependence of color charge correlations in the proton

TL;DR

This paper investigates how color charge correlations in the proton vary with impact parameter using light front formalism, including NLO corrections, and predicts a transition in the t-dependence of exclusive J/Ψ photoproduction.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed impact parameter dependent analysis of color charge correlators with NLO corrections, revealing a transition in the t-dependence of photoproduction processes.

Findings

Impact parameter dependence differs from simple transverse profiles.

Transition from exponential to power-law t-dependence at |t| ≈ 1 GeV^2.

Predictions testable at future DIS and UPC experiments.

Abstract

The impact parameter dependence of color charge correlators in the proton is obtained from the light front formalism in light cone gauge. We include NLO corrections due to the $|qqqg\rangle$ Fock state via light-cone perturbation theory. Near the center of the proton, the $b$-dependence of the correlations is very different from a "transverse profile function". The resulting $t$-dependence of exclusive $J/\Psi$ photoproduction transitions from exponential to power law at $|t| \approx 1$ GeV$^2$. This prediction could be tested at upcoming DIS facilities or in nucleus-proton ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs).