Diffractive single hadron production in a saturation framework at the NLO

TL;DR

This paper presents a next-to-leading order calculation of diffractive single hadron production cross-sections in a saturation framework, applicable to both photoproduction and leptoproduction, useful for detecting saturation effects at colliders.

Contribution

It introduces a NLO accurate hybrid formalism for diffractive hadron production, combining collinear and small-x factorization, with divergence cancellation and finite cross-section results.

Findings

Derived finite differential cross-sections at NLO accuracy.

Applicable to both photoproduction and leptoproduction.

Provides a theoretical basis for saturation effect detection at EIC and LHC.

Abstract

We calculate the cross-sections of diffractive single hadron photo- or electroproduction with large $p_T$, on a nucleon or a nucleus in the shockwave formalism. We use the hybrid formalism mixing collinear factorization with high energy small-$x$ factorization with the impact factors computed at next-to-leading order accuracy. We prove the cancellation of divergence and we determine the finite parts of the differential cross-sections. We work in general kinematics such that both photoproduction and leptoproduction are considered. The results can be used to detect saturation effects, at both the future EIC or already at LHC, using Ultra-Peripheral Collisions.