We review the evolution of the studies of diffractive processes in the strong interaction over the last 60 years. First, we briefly outline the early developments of the theory based on analyticity and unitarity of the S-matrix, including the derivat
ion and exploration of the Regge trajectories and related moving cuts. Special attention is paid to the concept of the Pomeron trajectory introduced for description of total, elastic and diffractive cross sections at high energies and to the emergence of the dynamics of multi-Pomeron interactions.The role of large longitudinal distances and color coherent phenomena for the understanding of inelastic diffraction in hadron-hadron scattering and deep inelastic scattering is emphasized. The connection of these phenomena to the cancellation of the contribution of the Glauber approximation in hadron-nucleus collisions and to the understanding of the Gribov-Glauber approximation is explained. The presence of different scales in perturbative QCD due to masses of heavy quarks has led to the emergence of numerous new phenomena including non-universality of the slopes of Regge trajectories made of light and heavy quarks and non-universal energy dependence of elastic cross sections. The application of the perturbative QCD techniques allowed us to calculate from the first principles the interaction of small transverse size color singlets with hadrons leading to the development of the quantitative theory of hard exclusive reactions and to the successful prediction of many regularities in hard large mass diffraction. It also led to the prediction of the phenomenon of complete transparency of nuclear matter in QCD in special processes. The conflict of perturbative QCD with probability conservation for high energy processes of virtual photon-nucleon scattering is explained. Some properties of the new QCD regime are outlined.
In a suitably chosen back-to-back kinematics, four-jet production in hadronic collisions is known to be dominated by contributions from two independent partonic scattering processes, thus giving experimental access to the structure of generalized two
-parton distributions 2GPDs. Here, we show that a combined measurement of the double hard four-jet cross section in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions will allow one to disentangle different sources of two-parton correlations in the proton, that cannot be disentangled with 4-jet measurements in proton-proton collisions alone. To this end, we analyze in detail the structure of 2GPDs in the nucleus (A), we calculate in the independent nucleon approximation all contributions to the double hard four-jet cross section in pA, and we determine corrections arising from the nuclear dependence of single parton distribution functions. We then outline an experimental strategy for determining the longitudinal two-parton correlations in the proton.
Applying exact QCD sum rules for the baryon charge and energy-momentum we demonstrate that if nucleons are the only degrees of freedom of nuclear wave function, the structure function of a nucleus would be the additive sum of the nucleon distribution
s at the same Bjorken x = AQ^2/2(p_Aq)< 0.5 up to very small Fermi motion corrections if x>0.05. Thus the difference of the EMC ratio from one reveals the presence of non-nucleonic degrees of freedom in nuclei. Using exact QCD sum rules we show that the ratio R_A(x_p,Q^2) used in experimental studies, where x_p = Q^2/2q_0 m_p deviates from one even if a nucleus consists of nucleons with small momenta only. Use of the Bjorken x leads to additional decrease of R_A(x,Q^2) as compared to the x_p plots. Coherent contribution of equivalent photons into photon component of parton wave function of a nucleus unambiguously follows from Lorentz transformation of the rest frame nucleus Coulomb field. For A~200 photons carry ~0.0065 fraction of the light momentum of nucleus almost compensates the difference between data analysis in terms of Bjorken x and x_p. Different role of higher twist effects for Q^2 probed at electron and muon beams is emphasized. Direct observations of large and predominantly nucleonic short-range correlations in nuclei pose a serious challenge for most of the models of the EMC effect for x>0.6. The data are consistent with a scenario in which the hadronic EMC effect reflects fluctuations of inter nucleon interaction due to fluctuations of color distribution in the interacting nucleons. The dynamic realization of this scenario is the model in which the 3q (3qg) configurations with x > 0.5 parton have a weaker interaction with nearby nucleons, leading to suppression of such configurations giving a right magnitude of the EMC effect. The directions for the future studies and challenging questions are outlined.
The transverse structure of the nucleon as probed in hard exclusive processes plays critical role in the understanding of the structure of the underlying event in hard collisions at the LHC, and multiparton interactions. We summarize results of our r
ecent studies of manifestation of transverse nucleon structure in the hard collisions at the LHC, new generalized parton distributions involved in multiparton interactions, presence of parton fluctuations. The kinematic range where interaction of fast partons of the projectile with the target reach black disk regime (BDR) strength is estimated. We demonstrate that in the BDR postselection effect leads to effective fractional energy losses. This effect explains regularities of the single and double forward pion production in $ dAu$ collisions at RHIC and impacts on the forward physics in $pp$ collisions at the LHC.
The recent x>1 (e,e) and correlation experiments at momentum transfer Q^2 ge 2 GeV^2 confirm presence of short-range correlations (SRC) in nuclei mostly build of nucleons. Recently we evaluated in a model independent way the dominant photon contrib
ution to the nuclear structure. Taking into account this effect and using definition of x consistent with the exact kinematics of eA scattering (with exact sum rules) results in the significant reduction of R_A(x,Q^2)=F_{2A}(x,Q^2)/F_{2N}(x,Q^2) ratio which explains sim 50% of the EMC effect for xle 0.55 where Fermi motion effects are small. The remaining part of the EMC effect at $xge 0.5$ is consistent with dominance of the contribution of SRCs. Implications for extraction of the F_{2n}/F_{2p} ratio are discussed. Smallness of the non-nucleonic degrees of freedom in nuclei matches well the recent observation of a two-solar mass neutron star, and while large pn SRCs lead to enhancement of the neutron star cooling rate for kTle 0.01 MeV.
We analyze the structure of the high multiplicity events observed by the CMS collaboration at the LHC. We argue that the bulk of the observed correlations is due to the production of a pair of jets with p_t > 15 GeV/c. We also suggest that high multi
plicity events are due to a combination of three effects: high underlying multiplicity for collisions at small impact parameters, upward fluctuations of the gluon density in the colliding protons, and production of hadrons in the fragmentation of dijets. The data analysis is suggested which may clarify the underlying dynamics of the high multiplicity events and probe fluctuations of the gluon field as a function of x.
We review theory of the leading twist nuclear shadowing, and describe phenomenon of post-selection suppression of leading parton spectrum (effective fractional energy losses) in the proximity of the black disk regime. We argue that $2 to 2$ mechanism
dominates in the inclusive leading pion production in d-Au collisions and explain that the post-selection naturally explains both the magnitude of the suppression of the forward pion production in d-Au collisions and the pattern of the forward - central correlations. At the same time this pattern of correlations rules out $2to 1$ mechanism as the main source of the inclusive leading pion yield. It is demonstrated that the mechanism of the double parton interactions gives an important contribution to the production of two leading pions in $pp$ scattering opening a new way to study correlations of leading quarks in the nucleon. The same mechanism is enhanced in $dAu to pi^0pi^0 +X$ collisions and explains the dominance of $Deltaphi$ independent component and suppression of the away side peak.
Photons as well as quarks and gluons are constituents of the infinite momentum frame (IMF) wave function of an energetic particle. They are mostly equivalent photons whose amplitude follows from the Lorentz transformation of the particle rest frame C
oulomb field into the IMF and from the conservation of the electromagnetic current. We evaluate in a model independent way the dominant photon contribution propto alpha_{em}(Z^2/A^{4/3})ln(1/R_{A}m_{N}x) to the nuclear structure functions as well as the term propto alpha_{em}Z/A. In addition we show that the definition of x consistent with the exact kinematics of eA scattering (with exact sum rules) works in the same direction as the nucleus field of equivalent photons. Combined, these effects account for the bulk of the EMC effect for xle 0.5 where Fermi motion effects are small. In particular for these x the hadronic mechanism contribution to the EMC effect does not exceed sim 3% for all nuclei. Also the A-dependence of the hadronic mechanism of the EMC effect for x > 0.5 is significantly modified.
We summarize recent progress in the studies of the short-rang correlations (SRC) in nuclei in high energy electron and hadron nucleus scattering and suggest directions for the future high energy studies aimed at establishing detailed structure of two
-nucleon SRCs, revealing structure of three nucleon SRC correlations and discovering non-nucleonic degrees of freedom in nuclei.
Novel processes probing the decay of nucleus after removal of a nucleon with momentum larger than Fermi momentum by hard probes finally proved unambiguously the evidence for long sought presence of short-range correlations (SRCs) in nuclei. In combin
ation with the analysis of large $Q^2$, A(e,e)X processes at $x>1$ they allow us to conclude that (i) practically all nucleons with momenta $ge$ 300 MeV/c belong to SRCs, consisting mostly of two nucleons, ii) probability of such SRCs in medium and heavy nuclei is $sim 25%$, iii) a fast removal of such nucleon practically always leads to emission of correlated nucleon with approximately opposite momentum, iv) proton removal from two-nucleon SRCs in 90% of cases is accompanied by a removal of a neutron and only in 10% by a removal of another proton. We explain that observed absolute probabilities and the isospin structure of two nucleon SRCs confirm the important role that tensor forces play in internucleon interactions. We find also that the presence of SRCs requires modifications of the Landau Fermi liquid approach to highly asymmetric nuclear matter and leads to a significantly faster cooling of cold neutron stars with neutrino cooling operational even for $N_p/N_n le 0.1$. The effect is even stronger for the hyperon stars. Theoretical challenges raised by the discovered dominance of nucleon degrees of freedom in SRCs and important role of the spontaneously broken chiral symmetry in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) in resolving them are considered. We also outline directions for future theoretical and experimental studies of the physics relevant for SRCs.
