A Perturbative QCD Approach to varvec{pi ^{-}~p rightarrow D^{-}~{varLambda }_{c}^{+}}

Abstract

We employ the generalized parton picture to analyze the reaction pi ^{-}~p rightarrow D^{-}~{varLambda }_{c}^{+}. Thereby it is assumed that the process amplitude factorizes into one for the perturbatively calculable subprocess bar{u} urightarrow bar{c} c and hadronic matrix elements that can be parameterized in terms of generalized parton distributions for the pi ^-rightarrow D^- and prightarrow {varLambda }_c^+ transitions, respectively. Representing these parton distributions in terms of valence-quark light-cone wave functions for pi , D, p and {varLambda }_c allows us to make numerical predictions for unpolarized differential and integrated cross sections as well as spin observables. In the kinematical region where this approach is supposed to work, i.e. sgtrsim 20 GeV^2 and in the forward hemisphere, the resulting cross sections are of the order of nb. This is a finding that could be of interest in view of plans to measure pi ^{-}~p rightarrow D^{-}~{varLambda }_{c}^{+}, e.g., at J-PARC or COMPASS.