Experimental evidence for a vector-like behaviour of Pomeron exchange

TL;DR

The paper provides experimental evidence that the Pomeron behaves as a non-conserved vector current, supported by azimuthal angle distribution analysis in proton-proton collisions, aligning with a specific theoretical model.

Contribution

It offers the first experimental evidence supporting the vector-like nature of the Pomeron exchange in high-energy collisions.

Findings

Azimuthal angle distributions match the non-conserved vector current model.

Flat phi distribution observed in spin-0 particle exchange cases.

Qualitative agreement between experimental data and the vector current Pomeron model.

Abstract

Evidence is presented that the Pomeron act as a non-conserved vector current. A study has been made of the azimuthal angle phi, which is defined as the angle between the pT vectors of the two outgoing protons, in the reaction pp -> pp(X0) for those resonances (X0) which are compatible with being produced by double Pomeron exchange. These distributions have been compared with a model which describes the Pomeron as a non-conserved vector current and a qualitative agreement is found. In addition, when one of the particles exchanged is known to have spin 0, namely pi-Pomeron exchange, the phi distribution is flat.