Logo
ScienceStack
Table of Contents
Fetching ...
Sign In

Fresh look at the nuclear transparency using the generalized parton distributions

The MMGPDs Collaboration, Muhammad Goharipour, Fatemeh Irani, K. Azizi, Dipangkar Dutta

Abstract

Color transparency (CT) is a fundamental phenomenon in QCD in which hadrons produced in high-energy exclusive processes traverse nuclear matter with minimal interactions. Nuclear transparency, which quantifies this attenuation suppression, is a quantity with high sensitivity to CT effects and provides critical insights into QCD dynamics in nuclear environments. In this study, we revisit nuclear transparency using the framework of generalized parton distributions (GPDs). By constructing nuclear GPDs (nGPDs) through the incorporation of nuclear parton distribution functions, we calculate the nuclear transparency $ T(Q^2) $ for the carbon nucleus as a function of momentum transfer $ Q^2 $ considering various definitions and compare the results obtained with available experimental data. Our finding highlights the importance of choosing a physically motivated definition of nuclear transparency. Moreover, we emphasize that a more reliable determination of nGPDs requires a dedicated global analysis incorporating nuclear data. Such an approach is essential for improving the theoretical understanding of CT and for achieving consistency with experimental observations in the high-$ Q^2 $ regime.

Fresh look at the nuclear transparency using the generalized parton distributions

Abstract

Color transparency (CT) is a fundamental phenomenon in QCD in which hadrons produced in high-energy exclusive processes traverse nuclear matter with minimal interactions. Nuclear transparency, which quantifies this attenuation suppression, is a quantity with high sensitivity to CT effects and provides critical insights into QCD dynamics in nuclear environments. In this study, we revisit nuclear transparency using the framework of generalized parton distributions (GPDs). By constructing nuclear GPDs (nGPDs) through the incorporation of nuclear parton distribution functions, we calculate the nuclear transparency for the carbon nucleus as a function of momentum transfer considering various definitions and compare the results obtained with available experimental data. Our finding highlights the importance of choosing a physically motivated definition of nuclear transparency. Moreover, we emphasize that a more reliable determination of nGPDs requires a dedicated global analysis incorporating nuclear data. Such an approach is essential for improving the theoretical understanding of CT and for achieving consistency with experimental observations in the high- regime.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 15 equations, 3 figures.

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: A comparison between the results of $T(Q^2)$ for the Carbon nucleus obtained using $H^{p/A}$ and $H^{N/A}$ nGPDs, denoted as $T^{p/A}$ and $T^{N/A}$, respectively.
  • Figure 2: Comparison of $T^{p/A}(Q^2)$, $T^{N/A}(Q^2)$, and $T^A(Q^2)$ derived from the Dirac form factor $F_1$ as defined in Eqs. (\ref{['Eq12']}) and (\ref{['Eq14']}) and the experimental data of Refs. Garino:1992caMakins:1994mmONeill:1994znvAbbott:1997bcGarrow:2001diHallC:2020ijh.
  • Figure 3: Comparison of the results for $T^{p/A}(Q^2)$, $T^{N/A}(Q^2)$, and $T^A(Q^2)$, based on the reduced cross-section $\sigma_R$ as defined in Eq. (\ref{['Eq15']}) and the experimental data of Refs. Garino:1992caMakins:1994mmONeill:1994znvAbbott:1997bcGarrow:2001diHallC:2020ijh.