Odderon-Pomeron Interference

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the asymmetry in charm jet energy fractions in high energy diffractive photoproduction can reveal the interference between Odderon and Pomeron exchanges in QCD, offering a potential experimental signature.

Contribution

It introduces a model predicting the shape and magnitude of the asymmetry caused by Odderon-Pomeron interference, suggesting a measurable effect at HERA.

Findings

Asymmetry predicted to be around 15% in magnitude.

Asymmetry shape modeled based on Odderon-Pomeron interference.

Potential for experimental detection at HERA.

Abstract

We show that the asymmetry in the fractional energy of charm versus anticharm jets produced in high energy diffractive photoproduction is sensitive to the interference of the Odderon $(C = -)$ and Pomeron $(C = +)$ exchange amplitudes in QCD. We predict the dynamical shape of the asymmetry in a simple model and estimate its magnitude to be of the order 15% using an Odderon coupling to the proton which saturates constraints from proton-proton vs. proton-antiproton elastic scattering. Measurements of this asymmetry at HERA could provide firm experimental evidence for the presence of Odderon exchange in the high energy limit of strong interactions.