Intrinsic Charm Research Articles

Tetraquarks from intrinsic heavy quarks

A number of new tetraquark candidate states containing from one to four charm or anticharm quarks have been observed recently. Many of these new states have been discovered at the LHC. The production of these states via intrinsic charm in the proton is investigated. The tetraquark masses obtained in this approach, while dependent on the internal transverse momenta of the partons in the state, are shown to agree well with the measured masses. These calculations can provide some insight into the nature of the tetraquark candidates, whether as a bound meson pair or as a looser configuration of four individual partons. The kinematic distributions of these states as a function of rapidity and transverse momentum are also studied. The possible cross sections for these states are finally considered, with a comparison to the X(3872) pT distributions from p+p collisions at s=13 TeV. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Asymmetric intrinsic charm in the nucleon and its implications for the D0 production in the LHCb p+Ne20 fixed-target experiment

Recent results indicate that charm quarks are intrinsic components of the proton wave function, and that the charm and anticharm distributions for a given value of the Bjorken-x variable can be different. In this paper, we will investigate the impact of this asymmetric intrinsic charm on the production of D0 and D¯0 mesons for fixed target p+Ne20 collisions at the LHCb. In our calculations, we include the contribution of the gluon-gluon fusion, gluon-charm and recombination processes and assume distinct models for the treatment of the intrinsic charm component. We demonstrate that the presence of an intrinsic charm improves the description of the current data for the rapidity and transverse momentum distributions of D mesons. However, such models are not able to describe the LHCb data for the D0−D¯0 asymmetry at large transverse momentum, which point out that the description of the intrinsic charm needs to be improved and/or new effects should be taken into account in the production of heavy mesons at forward rapidities in fixed-target collisions. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

D0 meson production in pp collisions at large Qs2

The impact of the nonlinear effects in the QCD on the observables is directly related to the magnitude of the saturation scale Qs, which is predicted to increase with the energy, rapidity, and multiplicity. In this paper, we investigate the D0 meson production in pp collisions at forward rapidities and/or high multiplicities considering the color glass condensate (CGC) formalism and the solutions of the running coupling Balitsky-Kovchegov equation. The contributions of gluon- and charm-initiated processes are taken into account, and a comparison with the current LHCb data is performed. The impact of an intrinsic charm component in the proton’s wave function is also estimated. Predictions for the self-normalized yields of D0 mesons as a function of the multiplicity of coproduced charged hadrons are presented, considering pp collisions at s=13 TeV and different values of the meson rapidity. A comparison with the predictions for the kaon and isolated photon production is performed. Our results indicate that a future experimental analysis of the D0 meson production at forward rapidities and high multiplicities can be useful to probe the CGC formalism and to disentangle the contribution of initial—and final—state effects. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Intrinsic charm quark valence distribution of the proton

We provide a first quantitative indication that the wave function of the proton contains unequal distributions of charm quarks and antiquarks, i.e., a nonvanishing intrinsic valence charm distribution. A significant nonvanishing valence component cannot be perturbatively generated; hence, our results reinforce previous evidence that the proton contains an intrinsic (i.e., not radiatively generated) charm quark component. We establish our result through a determination of the parton distribution functions of charm quarks and antiquarks in the proton. We propose two novel experimental probes of this intrinsic charm valence component: D-meson asymmetries in Z+c-jet production at the LHCb experiment and flavor-tagged structure functions at the Electron-Ion Collider. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Glass Elevator at Kelingking Beach: A Comparative SWOT Analysis of Infrastructural Innovations in Tourist Destinations

This study undertakes a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of the proposed glass elevator installation at Kelingking Beach, a renowned tourist destination in Bali. The research draws upon diverse scholarly perspectives to offer a comparative lens on infrastructural developments in natural settings. While the glass elevator promises to democratize access, particularly for older people and those with mobility challenges, and possibly amplify economic gains, it also brings forth concerns related to overdevelopment, environmental impact, and the risk of compromising the intrinsic charm of the destination. Our findings elucidate that while there are clear strengths, such as enhanced accessibility and potential for premium pricing, there are notable challenges to consider. The weaknesses, primarily arising from potential safety concerns and the possibility of detracting from the beach's natural allure, call for thoughtful solutions. Opportunities present themselves through collaborative efforts, sustainable practices, and a reinvigorated tourism sector. The study serves as a template for policymakers and stakeholders in natural tourist destinations, aiming to integrate infrastructure without diluting the essence of the locale.

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Inclusive semileptonic B→Xcℓν¯\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ B\ o {X}_c\\ell \\overline{\ u} $$\\end{document} decays can be described in the Heavy Quark Expansion (HQE) and allow for a precision determination of the CKM element |Vcb|. We calculate the terms of 1/mb5\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ 1/{m}_b^5 $$\\end{document} and derive a “trace formula” which allows for the computation of the decay rate and kinematic moments of the spectrum up to this order in the HQE. We focus specifically on the reparametrization invariant (RPI) dilepton invariant mass q2 moments of the spectrum, which depend on a reduced set of HQE parameters. At this order, “intrinsic charm” (IC) contributions proportional to 1/mb3mc2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ 1/\\left({m}_b^3{m}_c^2\\right) $$\\end{document} enter, which are numerically expected to be sizeable. Using the “lowest-lying state saturation ansatz” (LLSA), we estimate the size of these contributions. Within this approximation, we observe a partial cancellation between the IC and the “genuine” 1/mb5\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ 1/{m}_b^5 $$\\end{document} contributions, resulting in a small overall contribution.

Parton distributions of intrinsic charm in two-dimensional QCD

Parton distributions of intrinsic charm in two-dimensional QCD

Contribution from intrinsic charm production to fixed-target interactions with the SMOG Device at LHCb

Contribution from intrinsic charm production to fixed-target interactions with the SMOG Device at LHCb

Open charm production and asymmetry in pNe collisions at sqrt{s_{scriptscriptstyle {textrm{NN}}}} = 68.5,text {Gehspace{-1.00006pt}V}

A measurement of {{D}} ^0 meson production by the LHCb experiment in its fixed-target configuration is presented. The production of {{D}} ^0 mesons is studied with a beam of 2.5 ,text {Tehspace{-1.00006pt}V} protons colliding on a gaseous neon target at rest, corresponding to a nucleon–nucleon centre-of-mass energy of sqrt{s_{scriptscriptstyle text {NN}}} = 68.5,,text {Gehspace{-1.00006pt}V} . The sum of the {{D}} ^0 and {hspace{0.0pt}overline{hspace{0.0pt}{D}}} {}^0 production cross-section in ptext {Ne} collisions in the centre-of-mass rapidity range y^{star }in [-2.29, 0] is found to be sigma _{D^{0}}^{y^star in [-2.29, 0]} = 48.2 pm 0.3 pm 4.5 ,upmu text {b}/text {nucleon} where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The {{{D}} ^0}-{{hspace{0.0pt}overline{hspace{0.0pt}{D}}} {}^0} production asymmetry is also evaluated and suggests a trend towards negative values at large negative y^{star }. The considered models do not account precisely for all the features observed in the LHCb data, but theoretical predictions including 1% intrinsic charm and 10% recombination contributions better describe the data than the other models considered.

Axial-vector charges of the spin $$\frac{1}{2}^+$$ and spin $$\frac{3}{2}^+$$ light and charmed baryons in the SU(4) chiral quark constituent model

Following the first clear evidence of the presence of intrinsic charm contribution in the proton, the axial-vector charges of the light and charmed baryons are investigated in the framework of $SU(4)$ chiral constituent quark model after including the explicit contributions from the $u\bar u $, $d\bar d $, $s\bar s $ and $c\bar c $ fluctuations. The axial-vector charges having physical significance correspond to the generators of the $SU(4)$ group with flavor singlet $\lambda^0$, flavor isovector $\lambda^3$, flavor hypercharge $\lambda^8$ and flavor charmed $\lambda^{15}$ combinations of axial-vector current at zero momentum transfer. In contemplation to further understand the $Q^2$ dependence of these charges, we have used the conventionally established dipole form of parametrization. The baryons considered here are the spin $\frac{1}{2}^+$ and spin $\frac{3}{2}^+$ multiplets decomposed further depending on the charm content of baryons.

NNLO QCD predictions for Z-boson production in association with a charm jet within the LHCb fiducial region

We compute next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) QCD corrections to neutral vector boson production in association with a charm jet at the LHC. This process is studied in the forward kinematics at sqrt{s}=13 TeV, which may provide valuable constraints on the intrinsic charm component of the proton. A comparison is performed between fixed order and NLO predictions matched to a parton shower showing mutual compatibility within the respective uncertainties. NNLO corrections typically lead to a reduction of theoretical uncertainties by a factor of two and the perturbative convergence is further improved through the introduction of a theory-inspired constraint on the transverse momentum of the vector boson plus jet system. A comparison between these predictions with data will require an alignment of a flavour-tagging procedure in theory and experiment that is infrared and collinear safe.

Double J/ψ production in pion-nucleon scattering at COMPASS

We present the study of the production of double J/ψ mesons using COMPASS data collected with a 190 GeV/cπ− beam scattering off NH3, Al and W targets. Kinematic distributions of the collected double J/ψ events are analysed, and the double J/ψ production cross section is estimated for each of the COMPASS targets. The NH3 results are compared to predictions from single- and double-parton scattering models as well as the pion intrinsic charm and the tetraquark exotic resonance hypotheses. It is demonstrated that the single parton scattering production mechanism gives the dominant contribution that is sufficient to describe the data. An upper limit on the double intrinsic charm content of the pion is evaluated. No significant signatures that could be associated with exotic tetraquarks are found in the double J/ψ mass spectrum.

Far-forward production of charm mesons and neutrinos at forward physics facilities at the LHC and the intrinsic charm in the proton

We discuss production of far-forward $D$ mesons/antimesons and neutrinos/antineutrinos from their semileptonic decays in pp-collisions at the LHC. We include the gluon-gluon fusion $gg \to c\bar{c}$, the intrinsic charm (IC) $gc \to gc$ as well as the recombination $gq \to Dc$ partonic mechanisms. The calculations are performed within the $k_T$-factorization approach and the hybrid model using different unintegrated parton distribution functions (uPDFs) for gluons from the literature, as well as within the collinear approach. We compare our results to the LHCb data for forward $D^{0}$-meson production at $\sqrt{s} = 13$ TeV for different rapidity bins in the interval $2 < y < 4.5$. The IC and recombination models are negligible at the LHCb kinematics. Both the mechanisms start to be crucial at larger rapidities and dominate over the standard charm production mechanisms. At high energies there are so far no experiments probing this region. We present also energy distributions for forward electron, muon and tau neutrinos to be measured at the LHC by the currently operating FASER$\nu$ experiment, as well as by future experiments like FASER$\nu2$ or FLArE, proposed very recently by the Forward Physics Facility project. Again components of different mechanisms are shown separately. For all kinds of neutrinos (electron, muon, tau) the subleading contributions, i.e. the IC and/or the recombination, dominate over light meson (pion, kaon) and the standard charm production contribution driven by fusion of gluons for neutrino energies $E_{\nu} \gtrsim 300$ GeV. For electron and muon neutrinos both the mechanisms lead to a similar production rates and their separation seems rather impossible. On the other hand, for $\nu_{\tau} + {\bar \nu}_{\tau}$ neutrino flux the recombination is further reduced making the measurement of the IC contribution very attractive.

On the prompt contribution to the atmospheric neutrino flux

The prompt contribution to the atmospheric neutrino flux is analyzed. We demonstrate that the corresponding theoretical uncertainties related to perturbative treatment of charm production, notably, the ones stemming from the low- and high-$x$ behavior of parton distribution functions, can be conveniently studied at the level of charm quark production. Additionally, we discuss the nonperturbative contribution to the prompt neutrino flux, related to the intrinsic charm content of the proton and analyze its main features.

Parton distribution functions and QCD coupling constant from LHC and non-LHC data

We present a new QCD analysis of parton distribution functions (PDFs) at next-to-leading order (NLO) and next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO). In the present paper, the role of special types of experimental measurements for extracting PDFs is investigated, and simultaneously the values of the strong coupling constant are determined. Essential elements of this QCD analysis are the HERA combined data as a base, heavy-quark cross-section measurement together with Tevatron data on jet production and H1 and ZEUS jet cross sections as ``non-LHC'' data, and especially the ``LHC'' dataset for top-quark and jet cross sections. These different datasets have allowed detailed information at low $x$, providing worthwhile information on the nucleon's flavor, and have played an important role for some PDFs at large-$x$ and strong coupling constant. Since the large-$x$ gluon PDF benefits from an accurate determination of quark PDFs, we have enough motivation to focus on the top-quark production and jet cross-section measurements from LHC to find the impact of these data on the gluon PDF and strong coupling constant. These experimental data have an impact on the relative uncertainties of PDF. The gluon PDF at large $x$ and the values of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}({M}_{Z}^{2})$ are affected significantly. Although the main motivation of this paper is to focus on the gluon PDF and its uncertainty at large-$x$, giving notice to heavy PDF behavior in this region is also very important. We study the intrinsic charm (IC) using the BHPS model together with our extracted extrinsic charm PDF at large $x$, which can be very worthwhile for future experiments at the LHC.

Heavy quark contribution to the electromagnetic properties of the nucleon

Quantum chromodynamics (QCD) predicts the existence of both nonperturbative intrinsic and perturbative extrinsic heavy quark contributions to the fundamental structure of hadrons. The existence of intrinsic charm at the 3-standard-deviation level in the proton has recently been established from structure function measurements by the NNPDF Collaboration. Here we revisit the physics of intrinsic heavy quarks using light-front holographic QCD (LFHQCD) - a novel comprehensive approach to hadron structure which provides detailed predictions for dynamical properties of the hadrons, such as form factors, distribution amplitudes, structure functions, etc. We will extend this nonperturbative light-front QCD approach to study the heavy quark-antiquark contribution to the electromagnetic properties of nucleon. Our framework is based on a study of the eigenfunctions of the QCD light-front Hamiltonian, the frame-independent light-front wave functions (LFWFs) underlying hadron dynamics. We analyze the heavy quark content in the proton, induced either directly by the nonperturbative $|uud+Q\bar Q\rangle$ Fock state or by the $|uud+g\rangle$ Fock state, where the gluon splits into a heavy quark-antiquark pair. The specific form of these LFWFs are derived from LFHQCD. Using these LFWFs, we construct light-front representations for the heavy quark-antiquark asymmetry, the electromagnetic form factors of nucleons induced by heavy quarks, including their magnetic moments and radii.

Probing the proton structure with associated vector boson and heavy flavor jet production at the LHC

We consider the production of $Z$ bosons associated with heavy (charm and beauty) jets at the LHC energies using two scenarios based on the transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton densities in a proton. The first of them employs the Catani-Ciafaloni-Fiorani-Marchesini gluon evolution and is implemented in the Monte-Carlo event generator PEGASUS. Here, the heavy quarks are always produced in the hard partonic scattering. The second scheme is based on the parton branching approach, currently implemented into the Monte-Carlo event generator CASCADE. In this scenario, the $Z$ + jets sample is generated and then events containing the heavy flavor jet in a final state are selected. We compare the predictions obtained within these two TMD-based approaches to each other, investigate their sensitivity to the TMD gluon densities in a proton and estimate the effects coming from parton showers and double parton scattering mechanism. Additionally, we compare our predictions with the results of traditional (collinear) pQCD calculations performed at NLO accuracy. It is shown that the TMD-based results agree with the LHC experimental data collected at $\sqrt s = 8$ and $13$ TeV. We discuss the sensitivity of observables to the quark distributions in a proton and present predictions to search for the intrinsic charm signal in forthcoming analyses of the LHC experimental data.

Evidence for intrinsic charm quarks in the proton

The theory of the strong force, quantum chromodynamics, describes the proton in terms of quarks and gluons. The proton is a state of two up quarks and one down quark bound by gluons, but quantum theory predicts that in addition there is an infinite number of quark–antiquark pairs. Both light and heavy quarks, whose mass is respectively smaller or bigger than the mass of the proton, are revealed inside the proton in high-energy collisions. However, it is unclear whether heavy quarks also exist as a part of the proton wavefunction, which is determined by non-perturbative dynamics and accordingly unknown: so-called intrinsic heavy quarks1. It has been argued for a long time that the proton could have a sizable intrinsic component of the lightest heavy quark, the charm quark. Innumerable efforts to establish intrinsic charm in the proton2 have remained inconclusive. Here we provide evidence for intrinsic charm by exploiting a high-precision determination of the quark–gluon content of the nucleon3 based on machine learning and a large experimental dataset. We disentangle the intrinsic charm component from charm–anticharm pairs arising from high-energy radiation4. We establish the existence of intrinsic charm at the 3-standard-deviation level, with a momentum distribution in remarkable agreement with model predictions1,5.We confirm these findings by comparing them to very recent data on Z-boson production with charm jets from the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) experiment6.

Energy dependence of intrinsic charm production: Determining the best energy for observation

Background: A nonperturbative charm production contribution, known as intrinsic charm, was predicted in the early 1980s. Recent results have provided new evidence for its existence but further confirmation is needed. Purpose: $J/\psi$ and $\bar D$ meson production are calculated with a combination of perturbative QCD and intrinsic charm to determine the best energy range to study intrinsic charm production. Methods: $J/\psi$ and $\bar D$ meson production are calculated in perturbative QCD to next-to-leading order in the cross section. Cold nuclear matter effects, including nuclear modification of the parton densities and $p_T$ broadening by multiple scattering are taken into account in the production of both; absorption by nucleons is also included for the $J/\psi$. Contributions from intrinsic charm are calculated assuming production from a $|uud c \bar c \rangle$ Fock state. Results: The $J/\psi$ and $\bar D$ meson rapidity and $p_T$ distributions are calculated as a function of rapidity and transverse momentum $p_T$ over a wide range of center-of-mass energies with and without intrinsic charm in $p+p$ collisions. The nuclear modification factor, $R_{pA}$, is also calculated for $p+{\rm Pb}$ interactions at appropriate energies. Previous fixed-target data as a function of Feynman $x$, $x_F$, are also compared to calculations within the approach. Good agreement with the data is found when intrinsic charm is included. Conclusions: The intrinsic charm signal may be largest at midrapidity for future low energy fixed target experiments such as the proposed NA60+.

Intrinsic charm in the nucleon and forward production of charm: a new constrain from IceCube Neutrino Observatory

The predictions for the atmospheric neutrino flux at high energies strongly depend on the contribution of prompt neutrinos, which are determined by the production of charmed meson in the atmosphere at very forward rapidities. Here we estimate the related cross sections taking into account the presence of an intrinsic charm (IC) component in the proton wave function. The impact on the predictions for the prompt neutrino flux is investigated assuming different values for the probability to find the IC in the nucleon.