Gluon tomography through diffractive processes in a saturation framework

TL;DR

This paper advances the understanding of gluon saturation by providing NLO calculations for various diffractive processes, enabling more precise gluon tomography and saturation physics studies at future colliders.

Contribution

It presents the next-to-leading order treatment of multiple diffractive processes within a saturation framework, including new insights into transversely polarized vector meson production.

Findings

NLO calculations for exclusive dijet and vector meson production.

Framework applicable to future EIC and LHC UPC studies.

Enhanced precision in gluon saturation physics.

Abstract

We discuss a series of results aimed at bringing saturation physics and gluon tomography into an era of precision. In particular, the NLO treatment of diffractive: 1) exclusive dijet, 2) exclusive longitudinally polarized light vector meson and 3) semi-inclusive single or double hadron photo- or electroproduction with large $p_T$, on a nucleon or a nuclei. Finally, we discuss the more complicated 4) exclusive transversely polarized light vector meson production, which starts at the next-to-leading power and therefore requires a beyond leading twist treatment. This new class of processes provides an access to precision physics of gluon saturation dynamics, with very promising future phenomenological studies at the EIC, or, at the LHC in $p A$ and $A A$ scattering, using Ultra Peripheral Collisions (UPC).