Forward Drell-Yan Research Articles

Forward Drell-Yan and backward jet production as a probe of the BFKL dynamics

We propose a new process which probes the BFKL dynamics in the high energy proton-proton scattering, namely the forward Drell-Yan (DY) production accompanied by a backward jet, separated from the DY lepton pair by a large rapidity interval. The proposed process probes higher rapidity differences and smaller transverse momenta than in the Mueller-Navelet jet production. It also offers a possibility of measuring new observables like lepton angular distribution coefficients in the DY lepton pair plus jet production.

Nuclear modification of forward Drell-Yan production at the LHC

Forward Drell-Yan production at high energy can provide important constraints on gluon densities at small $x$, in the saturation regime. In this work we focus on the nuclear modification of this process, which could be measured at the LHC in the near future. For this we employ the color dipole approach, using the optical Glauber model to relate the dipole cross section of a nucleus to the one of a proton. Combining these results with our earlier results for forward $J/\psi$ production, we compute the ratio of the nuclear modification factors of these two processes. This observable was recently suggested as a way to distinguish between initial and final state effects in forward particle production.

Twist decomposition of Drell-Yan structure functions: phenomenological implications

The forward Drell-Yan process in pp scattering at the LHC at sqrt{S} = 14 TeV is considered. We analyze the Drell-Yan structure functions assuming the dominance of a Compton-like emission of a virtual photon from a fast quark scattering off the small x gluons. The color dipole framework is applied to perform quantitatively the twist decomposition of all the Drell-Yan structure functions. Two models of the color dipole scattering are applied: the Golec-Biernat-Wüsthoff model and the dipole cross section obtained from the Balitsky-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov evolution equation. The two models have essentially different higher twist content and the gluon transverse momentum distribution and lead to different significant effects beyond the collinear leading twist description. It is found that the gluon transverse momentum effects are significant in the Drell-Yan structure functions for all Drell-Yan pair masses M, and the higher twist effects become important for M ≲ 10GeV. It is found that the structure function WTT related to the A2 angular coefficient and the Lam-Tung observable A0 − A2 are particularly sensitive to the gluon kT effects and to the higher twist effects. A procedure is suggested how to disentangle the higher twist effects from the gluon transverse momentum effects.

Twist expansion of Drell-Yan structure functions in color dipole approach

Forward Drell-Yan process at the LHC probes the proton structure at very small Bjorken-$x$ and moderate hard scales. In this kinematical domain higher twist effects may be significant and introduce sizeable corrections to the standard leading twist description. We study the forward Drell-Yan process beyond the leading twist approximation within the color dipole model framework that incorporates multiple scattering effects. We derive the Mellin representation of the forward Drell-Yan impact factors for fully differential cross-sections. These results combined with the color dipole cross-section of the saturation model are used to perform twist expansion of the Drell-Yan structure functions at arbitrary transverse momentum $q_T$ of the Drell-Yan pair and also of the structure functions integrated over $q_T$. We also investigate the Lam-Tung relation, find that it is broken at twist 4 and provide explicit estimates for the breaking term.

Twist Expansion of Forward Drell--Yan Process

We present a twist expansion of differential cross-sections of the forward Drell-Yan process at the high energies. The expansion of all invariant form-factors is performed assuming GBW saturation model and the saturation scale plays the role of the hadronic scale of OPE. Some expilicit predictions for LHC experiments are given. It is shown also how the Lam-Tung relation is broken at twist 4 what provides a sensitive probe for searching of higher twists.