The rapidity dependence of inclusive and coincident particle production in d(p)+Au collisions at RHIC can be used to probe nuclear parton distribution functions down to small momentum fractions where theory anticipates that parton saturation could be present. This paper describes how such experiments could be completed.
The RHIC high energy collision of species ranging from p+p, p(d)+A to A+A provide access to the {small-x} component of the hadron wave function. The RHIC program has brought renewed interest in that subject with its ability to reach values of the par
ton momentum fraction smaller than 0.01 with studies of particle production at high rapidity. Furthermore, the use of heavy nuclei in the p(d)+A collisions facilitates the study of saturation effects in the gluonic component of the nuclei because the appropriate scale for that regime grows as A^1/3. We review the experimental results of the RHIC program that have relevance to {small-x} emphasizing the physics extracted from d+Au collisions and their comparison to p+p collisions at the same energy.
Recent soft physics results from collisions of ultra-relativistic nuclei at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) operating at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) are reviewed. Topics discussed cover the Beam Energy Scan program with some emphasis on anisotropic particle flow.
The TOTEM experiment with its detectors in the forward region of CMS and the Roman Pots along the beam line will determine the total pp cross-section via the optical theorem by measuring both the elastic cross-section and the total inelastic rate. TO
TEM will have dedicated runs with special high-beta* beam optics and a reduced number of proton bunches resulting in a low effective luminosity between 1.6 x 10^{28} cm^{-2} s^{-1} and 2.4 x 10^{29} cm^{-2} s^{-1}. In these special conditions also an absolute luminosity measurement will be made, allowing the calibration of the CMS luminosity monitors needed at higher luminosities. The acceptance of more than 90 % of all leading protons in the Roman Pot system, together with CMSs central and TOTEMs forward detectors extending to a maximum rapidity of 6.5, makes the combined CMS+TOTEM experiment a unique instrument for exploring diffractive processes. Scenarios for running at higher luminosities necessary for hard diffractive phenomena with low cross-sections are under study.
STAR collected data in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s)=200 GeV with transverse and longitudinal beam polarizations during the initial running periods in 2002--2004 at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Results
on the single transverse spin asymmetries in the production of high energy forward neutral pions and of forward charged hadrons will be presented. Data have been obtained for double longitudinal asymmetries in inclusive jet production in 2003 and 2004. These data provide sensitivity to the polarization of gluons in the proton. In the future, we aim to determine the gluon polarization over a wide kinematic range using coincidences of direct photons and jets. Furthermore, we aim to determine the polarizations of the u, bar(u), d and bar(d) quarks in the proton by measuring single longitudinal spin asymmetries in the production of weak bosons at sqrt(s) = 500$ GeV.