Heavy quark photoproduction in ultraperipheral heavy ion collisions

• Heavy quarks are copiously produced in ultraperipheral heavy ion collisions. In the strong electromagnetic fields, c (c) over bar and b (b) over bar are produced by photonuclear and two-photon interactions. Hadroproduction can also occur in grazing interactions. We calculate the total cross sections and the quark transverse momentum and rapidity distributions, as well as the Q (Q) over bar invariant mass spectra from the three production channels. We consider AA and pA collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider and the Large Hadron Collider. We discuss techniques for separating the three processes and describe how the AA to pA production ratios might be measured accurately enough to study nuclear shadowing.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Subatomär fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Subatomic Physics (hsv//eng)

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