Probing the QCD pomeron in e+ e- collisions

Abstract

The total cross section for scattering virtual photons at high energy is sensitive to pomeron physics. If the photons are sufficiently virtual, QCD perturbation theory applies, so that the reaction probes the short distance pomeron. We study this reaction for present and future e+/- e- colliders.

Figures (3)

• Figure 1: Graphical representation of Eq. (\ref{['ktfac']}). The gluons can be attached to the quark lines in 16 different ways.
• Figure 2: The $s/Q^2$ dependence of the $\gamma^{*} \, \gamma^{*}$ total cross section, Eq. (\ref{['sigofs']}). We take $Q_A^2 = Q_B^2$, $\alpha_S = 0.2$, and divide $\sigma$ by the Born cross section $\sigma_B$, which is independent of $s$. We show the results of evaluating the integral exactly and of using the saddle point approximation.
• Figure 3: $Q^2$-behavior of the vector meson dominance and perturbative cross sections in lowest order, with $Q_A^2 = Q_B^2 \equiv Q^2$.