Exclusive $pp \to pp K^{*0} \bar{K}^{*0}$ reaction: $f_{2}(1950)$ resonance versus diffractive continuum

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the exclusive $pp o pp K^{*0} ar{K}^{*0}$ reaction at LHC, comparing tensor-pomeron model predictions for resonance and continuum mechanisms with WA102 data, highlighting challenges in identifying tensor glueballs.

Contribution

It introduces a tensor-pomeron approach to model the reaction and compares resonance and continuum contributions, providing predictions for LHC experiments.

Findings

Continuum contribution alone describes WA102 data well.

Resonance and continuum contributions are similar, complicating tensor glueball identification.

Predictions for LHC experiments are provided.

Abstract

The exclusive reaction $pp \to pp (K^{*0} \bar{K}^{*0} \to K^{+}\pi^{-}K^{-}\pi^{+})$ for the LHC experiments is discussed. The amplitudes for the reaction are formulated within the tensor-pomeron approach. We consider two diffractive mechanisms: the $f_{2}(1950)$ $s$-channel exchange mechanism and the $K^{*0}$-exchange mechanism. First mechanism is a candidate for central diffractive production of tensor glueball and the second one is an irreducible continuum. Comparison with data from WA102 experiment are made and predictions for LHC experiments are given. We find that including the continuum contribution alone one can describe the WA102 data reasonably well. A similar behaviour of the continuum and resonance contributions makes an identification of a broad tensor-glueball state in this reaction rather difficult.