No Arabic abstract
We calculate the azimuthal dependence of the heavy-quark-initiated ${cal O}(alpha_{s})$ contributions to the lepton-nucleon deep inelastic scattering (DIS). It is shown that, contrary to the photon-gluon fusion (GF) component, the photon-quark scattering (QS) mechanism is practically $cos2phi$-independent. We investigate the possibility to discriminate experimentally between the GF and QS contributions using their strongly different azimuthal distributions. Our analysis shows that the GF and QS predictions for the azimuthal $cos2phi$ asymmetry are quantitatively well defined in the fixed flavor number scheme: they are stable, both parametrically and perturbatively. We conclude that measurements of the azimuthal distributions at large Bjorken $x$ could directly probe the intrinsic charm content of the proton. As to the variable flavor number schemes, the charm densities of the recent CTEQ and MRST sets of parton distributions have a dramatic impact on the $cos2phi$ asymmetry in the whole region of $x$ and, for this reason, can easily be measured.
We study two experimental ways to measure the heavy-quark content of the proton: using the Callan-Gross ratio $R(x,Q^2)=F_L/F_T$ and/or azimuthal $cos(2varphi)$ asymmetry in deep inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering. Our approach is based on the perturbative stability of the QCD predictions for these two quantities. We resume the mass logarithms of the type $alpha_{s}lnleft( Q^{2}/m^{2}right)$ and conclude that heavy-quark densities in the nucleon can, in principle, be determined from data on the Callan-Gross ratio and/or azimuthal asymmetry. In particular, the charm content of the proton can be measured in future studies at the proposed Large Hadron-Electron (LHeC) and Electron-Ion (EIC) Colliders.
Constraints on the intrinsic charm probability $wccm = P_{{mathrm{c}bar mathrm{c}} / mathrm{p}}$ in the proton are obtained for the first time from LHC measurements. The ATLAS Collaboration data for the production of prompt photons, accompanied by a charm-quark jet in pp collisions at $sqrt s = 8 $ TeV, are used. The upper limit mbox{$wccm < 1.93$~%} is obtained at the 68~% confidence level. This constraint is primarily determined from the theoretical scale and systematical experimental uncertainties. Suggestions for reducing these uncertainties are discussed. The implications of intrinsic heavy quarks in the proton for future studies at the LHC are also discussed.
The cross section of associated production of a Z boson with heavy flavor jets in $pp$ collisions is calculated using the SHERPA Monte Carlo generator and the analytical combined QCD approach based on kt-factorization at small x and conventional collinear QCD at large x. A satisfactory description of the ATLAS and CMS data on the $p_T$ spectra of Z bosons and c-jets in the whole rapidity, y, region is shown. Searching for the intrinsic charm (IC) contribution in these processes, which could be visible at large y > 1.5, we study observables very sensitive to non-zero IC contributions and less affected by theoretical QCD scale uncertainties. One of such observables is the so-called double ratio: the ratio of the differential cross section of Z + c production in the central region of |y| < 1.5 and in the forward region 1.5 < |y| < 2.5, divided by the same ratio for Z + b production. These observables could be more promising for the search of IC at LHC as compared to the observables considered earlier.
Despite rather long-term theoretical and experimental studies, the hypothesis of the non-zero intrinsic (or valence-like) heavy quark component of the proton distribution functions has not yet been confirmed or rejected. The LHC with $pp$-collisions at $sqrt{s}=$ 7--14 TeV will obviously supply extra unique information concerning the above-mentioned component of the proton. To use the LHC potential, first of all, one should select the parton-level (sub)processes (and final-state signatures) that are most sensitive to the intrinsic heavy quark contributions. To this end inclusive production of $c(b)$-jets accompanied by photons is considered. On the basis of the performed theoretical study it is demonstrated that the investigation of the intrinsic heavy quark contributions looks very promising at the LHC in processes such as $pprightarrow gamma+ c(b)+X$.
We consider possible mechanisms for single spin asymmetries in inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) processes with unpolarized leptons and transversely polarized nucleons. Tests for the effects of non-zero $bfk_perp$, for the properties of spin dependent quark fragmentations and for quark helicity conservation are suggested.