Multiplicity distributions inside parton cascades developing in a medium

The explanation of the suppression of high-p_T hadron yields at RHIC in terms of jet-quenching implies that the multiplicity distributions of particles inside a jet and jet-like particle correlations differ strongly in nucleus–nucleus collisions at RHIC or at the LHC from those observed at e⁺e^- or hadron colliders. We present a framework for describing the medium-induced modification, which has a direct interpretation in terms of a probabilistic medium-modified parton cascade, and which treats leading and subleading partons on an equal footing. We show that our approach can account for the strong suppression of single inclusive hadron spectra measured in Au–Au collisions at RHIC, and that this implies a characteristic distortion of the single inclusive distribution of soft partons inside the jet. We determine, as a function of the jet energy, to what extent the soft fragments within a jet can be measured above some momentum cut. PACS 12.38.Mh; 25.75.-q     

Surface versus volume emissions in photon–hadron correlations

High-p _T photon–hadron correlations are studied within the next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD parton model with modified parton-jet fragmentation functions due to jet quenching in high-energy A+A collisions. In central A+A collisions, the away-side hadrons with large z _T=p _T ^h /p _T ^γ are controlled mainly by the surface emission of the gamma-jet events, while a small z _T region will be volume emission bias. In other words, gamma jets for a small-z _T region probe the dense matter deeper than those gamma jets for a large-z _T region, so the small-z _T gamma jets are found to be slightly more sensitive to the properties of the dense matter than the large-z _T gamma jets.     

Comparison of three-jet events with QCD shower models

Distributions of particles in three-jet events from e⁺e^? → hadrons are compared with different fragmentation schemes, i.e. the Lund string model, independent parton fragmentation and QCD shower models. Effects specific to the string scheme, which have been seen in the data, are also reproduced by QCD shower models if soft gluon interference effects are included.     

Large corrections to high-pT hadron-hadron scattering in QCD

We have computed the first non-trivial QCD corrections to the quark-quark scattering process which contributes to the production of hadrons at large p_T in hadron-hadron collisions. Using quark distribution functions defined in deep inelastic scattering and fragmentation functions defined in one particle inclusive e⁺e^? annihilation, we find that the corrections are large. This implies that QCD perturbation theory may not be reliable for large-p_T haron physics.     

Parton model predictions for two-particle correlations in e+e− annihilation

The parton model predicts a jet structure for e⁺e^? annihilation into hadrons. This is obscured at low energies by the presence of finite transverse momentum effects. We suggest studying e+⁺e^? → h₁+h₂+X, where at least one hadron is near the kinematical boundary; this defines a jet axis. Numerous predictions for correlations among mesons follow from Feynman's parton fragmentation suggestion. We also give sum rules which check for the quantum numbers of the partons.     

Jet model with exclusive parton hadron duality

We discuss a model for hadron jets in hard collisions, in which the observed hadrons originate at the end of a purely hadronic cascade. We assume that this hadronic cascade evolves according to the same laws approximately as a parton cascade in QCD. We obtain a simple relation between hadron and parton final states at an almost exclusive level, which allows in many cases to replace partons by hadrons. As application we discuss jet multiplicities at variable resolution, in particular scaling laws, α _s determination and production of axial vector mesons (A ₁ B, ...).     

Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering processes from small to large P<Subscript>T</Subscript>

We consider the azimuthal and P_T-dependence of hadrons produced in unpolarized Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (SIDIS) processes, within the factorized QCD parton model. It is shown that at small P_T values, P _T ≲ 1GeV/c, lowest-order contributions, coupled to unintegrated (transverse-momentum-dependent) quark distribution and fragmentation functions, describe all data. At larger P_T values, P _T ≳ 1GeV/c, the usual pQCD higher-order collinear contributions dominate. Having explained the full P_T range of available data, we give new detailed predictions concerning the azimuthal and P_T-dependence of hadrons which could be measured in ongoing or planned experiments by HERMES, COMPASS and JLab Collaborations.     

Fragmentation function in non-equilibrium QCD using closed-time path integral formalism

In this paper we implement the Schwinger–Keldysh closed-time path integral formalism in non-equilibrium QCD in accordance to the definition of the Collins–Soper fragmentation function. We consider a high-p _T parton in QCD medium at initial time τ ₀ with an arbitrary non-equilibrium (non-isotropic) distribution function fragmenting to a hadron. We formulate the parton-to-hadron fragmentation function in non-equilibrium QCD in the light-cone quantization formalism. It may be possible to include final-state interactions with the medium via a modification of the Wilson lines in this definition of the non-equilibrium fragmentation function. This may be relevant to the study of hadron production from a quark–gluon plasma at RHIC and LHC.     

Collins and sivers effects in p↑p → jet πX: Universality and process dependence

In this paper we briefly review the transverse momentum dependent generalized parton model and its application to the study of azimuthal asymmetries in the distribution of leading hadrons (mainly pions) inside large transverse momentum jets inclusively produced in polarized proton-proton collisions. We put particular emphasis on the phenomenological interest of these observables, in combination with similar asymmetries measured in semi-inclusive deeply inelastic scattering, Drell-Yan processes and e ⁺ e ^? collisions, for the study of the universality properties of the transverse momentum dependent parton distribution and fragmentation functions. We present results for RHIC kinematics at center-of-mass energies √s = 200 and 500 GeV, for central and mainly forward jet rapidities, in particular for the Sivers distribution and the Collins fragmentation function, that are believed to be responsible for many of the largest asymmetries measured in the last years. We also briefly discuss the case of inclusive jet production and recent phenomenological applications of other theoretical approaches, like the colour gauge invariant generalized parton model and the collinear twist-three approach, aiming at clarifying the issues of the universality and process dependence of transverse momentum dependent functions.     

How important are next-to-leading order models in predicting strange particle spectra in p+p collisions at STAR?

STAR has measured a variety of strange particle species in p+p collisions at  =200 GeV. These high statistics data are ideal for comparing to existing leading- and next-to-leading order perturbative QCD (pQCD) models. Next-to-leading (NLO) models have been successful in describing inclusive hadron production using parameterized fragmentation functions (FF) for quarks and gluons. However, in order to describe identified strange particle spectra at NLO, knowledge of flavor separated FF is essential. Such FF have recently been parameterized using data by the OPAL experiment and allow for the first time to perform NLO calculation for strange baryons. In fact, comparing the STAR Λ data with these calculations allow to put a constraint on the gluon fragmentation function. We show that the leading-order (LO) event generator PYTHIA has to be tuned significantly to reproduce the STAR identified strange particle data. In particular, it fails to describe the observed enhancement of baryon-to-meson ratio at intermediate p_T (2–6 GeV/c). In heavy-ion (HI) collisions this observable has been extensively compared with models and shows a strong dependency on collision centrality or parton density. In the HI context the observed enhancement has been explained by recent approaches in terms of parton coalescense and recombination models. PACS 25.75.Dw; 25.40.Ep; 24.10.Lx     

Next-to-next-to-leading order evolution of non-singlet fragmentation functions

We have investigated the next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) corrections to inclusive hadron production in e⁺e⁻$e^{+}{e}^{-}$ annihilation and the related parton fragmentation distributions, the ‘time-like’ counterparts of the ‘space-like’ deep-inelastic structure functions and parton densities. We have re-derived the corresponding second-order coefficient functions in massless perturbative QCD, which so far had been calculated only by one group. Moreover we present, for the first time, the third-order splitting functions governing the NNLO evolution of flavour non-singlet fragmentation distributions. These results have been obtained by two independent methods relating time-like quantities to calculations performed in deep-inelastic scattering. We briefly illustrate the numerical size of the NNLO corrections, and make a prediction for the difference of the yet unknown time-like and space-like splitting functions at the fourth order in the strong coupling constant.     

Evolution of parton densities beyond leading order: The non-singlet case

We develop a technique, based explicitly on the factorization properties of mass singularities, which allows one to calculate the evolution of parton densities beyond leading order. We present the results for the evolution of hadronic structure functions as well as for parton fragmentation functions into hadrons. Within our scheme the predictions for a particular process are obtained by convoluting a universal parton density with a “short-distance” cross section specific to the process. As an application, we calculate the QCD predictions for the Q² dependence of deep inelastic lepton-hadron scattering and of one-particle iclusive e⁺ e^? annihilation cross sections. Our results for electroproduction agree with those obtained with the operator product expansion technique. Physical quantities in scattering are related to the corresponding ones in annihilation by analytic continuation, whereas the Gribov-Lipatov relation is strongly violated.     

Effects of soft gluon emission on the opposite-side acollinearity distributions in e+e− annihilation

The acollinearity of hadrons belonging to back-to-back jets in e⁺e^? annihilation is investigated in the framework of QCD. The approach is based on the evolution equations for fragmentation functions, and it takes into account the non-perturbative intrinsic transverse momentum. The results are compared with recent data, and satisfactory agreement is obtained.     

Inclusive properties of the ee annihilation into hadrons

The reaction e⁺e⁻ → hadrons is described on the basis of an hadronic structure for the photon. The structure functions of the inclusive reaction e⁺e⁻ → h + anything describe then the parton constitution of the photon in the scaling limit. Various types of couplings and models are considered (global couplings with vector mesons, fundamental photon-parton-antiparton couplings with formation of jets or fans). Precise shapes for the inclusive spectra and multiplicity distributions are deduced. Detailed comparisons with hadronic collisions A + B → h + anything are proposed in the fragmentation, the phase space boundary and the pionisation regions which could determine the nature of the partons and their interactions.     

Transverse spin and momentum correlations in quantum chromodynamics

The naive time reversal odd (‘T-odd’) parton distribution and fragmentation functions are explored. We use the spectator model framework to study flavour dependence of the Boer-Mulders (h ₁^⊥ ) and Sivers (f _1T^⊥) functions as well as the ‘T-even’ but chiral odd function h _1L^⊥. These transverse momentum-dependent parton distribution functions are of significance for the analysis of azimuthal asymmetries in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering, as well as for the overall physical understanding of the distribution of transversely polarized quarks in unpolarized hadrons. In this context we also consider the Collins mechanism and the fragmentation function H ₁^⊥. As a by-product of this analysis we calculate the leading twist unpolarized cos(2ϕ) asymmetry, and sin(2ϕ) single spin asymmetry for a longitudinally polarized target in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering.      

e+e− → γ + Hadrons

We give the spectrum in momentum and angle of directly produced γ's in e⁺e^? → γ + hadrons, and show that in QCD if p_⊥² of the recoil hadron jet relative to the photon is large, the leading logarithmic corrections to the lowest order result are absent. This process is therefore of great value in learning whether QCD actually governs quark dynamics.     

Gluons in the hadronicS matrix

We derive a theoretical explanation of the similarities which have been experimentally observed between final state distributions in soft processes (K ^? p interactions andpp collisions at ISR) and hard processes (e ⁺ e ^? annihilations and deep inelastic scattering). The theoretical framework is the correspondence between QCD and dual topological unitarization (DTU), which expresses confinement as the equivalence of the hadron and parton bases to account for unitarity. Starting from the interpretation of the zero handle topology in DTU in terms of the naive quark parton model, we show how to characterize gluons in the hadron basis: primordial gluons are associated with the one handle topology, and the cascading of hard gluons is related to the sum of all higher topologies in DTU. We get this way a QCD interpretation of the reggeon calculus which is the theoretical framework of soft hadronic processes at asymptotic energies.