Measuring Double Parton Distributions in Nucleons at Proton-Nucleus Colliders

TL;DR

The study of the process would allow one to measure, for the first time, the double-parton distribution functions in a nucleon in a model-independent way and hence to study both the longitudinal and the transverse correlations of partons.

Abstract

We predict a strong enhancement of multijet production in proton-nucleus collisions at collider energies, as compared to a naive expectation of a cross section $\propto A$. The study of the process would allow to measure, for the first time, the double parton distribution functions in a nucleon in a model independent way and hence to study both the longitudinal and the transverse correlations of partons.

Figures (2)

• Figure 1: Two contributions to the "four $\to$ four" process in $pA$ scattering. Dashed lines represent hard interactions.
• Figure 2: Three contributions to the "six $\to$ six" process in $pA$ scattering. Dashed lines represent hard interactions.