Effects of the transverse coherence length in relativistic collisions

Abstract

Effects of the quantum interference in collisions of particles have a twofold nature: they arise because of the auto-correlation of a complex scattering amplitude and due to spatial coherence of the incoming wave packets. Both these effects are neglected in a conventional scattering theory dealing with the delocalized plane waves, although they sometimes must be taken into account in particle and atomic physics. Here, we study the role of a transverse coherence length of the packets, putting special emphasis on the case in which one of the particles is twisted, that is, it carries an orbital angular momentum $\ell \hslash$. In $ee,ep$, and $pp$ collisions the interference results in corrections to the plane-wave cross sections, usually negligible at the energies $\sqrt{s}\gg 1$ GeV but noticeable for smaller ones, especially if there is a twisted hadron with $|\ell |>10^3$ in initial state. Beyond the perturbative QCD, these corrections become only moderately attenuated allowing one to probe a phase of the hadronic amplitude as a function of $s$ and $t$. In this regime, the coherence effects can compete with the loop corrections in QED and facilitate testing the phenomenological models of the strong interaction at intermediate and low energies.

arXiv comment3 figures

References in corpus (32)

• Global $\Lambda$ hyperon polarization in nuclear collisions: evidence for the most vortical fluid
• Self accelerating electron Airy beams
• Theory and applications of free-electron vortex states
• Paradoxes of neutrino oscillations
• Measurement of Elastic pp Scattering at $\sqrt{s}$ = 8 TeV in the Coulomb-Nuclear Interference Region - Determination of the $\rho$-Parameter and the Total Cross-Section
• Atomic scale electron vortices for nanoresearch
• Colliding particles carrying non-zero orbital angular momentum
• Realization of electron vortices with large orbital angular momentum using miniature holograms fabricated by electron beam lithography
• Neutrino oscillations: Quantum mechanics vs. quantum field theory
• Scattering of twisted particles: extension to wave packets and orbital helicity
• A diagrammatic treatment of neutrino oscillations
• Neutrino oscillations: Entanglement, energy-momentum conservation and QFT
• Elastic scattering of vortex electrons provides direct access to the Coulomb phase
• Scattering of wave packets with phases
• Measuring the phase of the scattering amplitude with vortex beams
• Generation and detection of spin-orbit coupled neutron beams
• Methods for preparation and detection of neutron spin-orbit states
• Doing spin physics with unpolarized particles
• Relativistic vortex electrons: paraxial versus non-paraxial regimes
• The Schwinger Scattering of Twisted Neutrons by Nuclei
• Quantum Limitation to the Coherent Emission of Accelerated Charges
• Processes with the $t$-channel singularity in the physical region: finite beam sizes make cross sections finite
• Coherent quantum enhancement of pair production in the null domain
• Toward the observation of interference effects in nonlinear Compton scattering
• Kinematic surprises in twisted particle collisions
• Electric quadrupole moment and the tensor magnetic polarizability of twisted electrons and a potential for their measurements
• Intrinsic multipole moments of the non-Gaussian wave packets
• Physical mechanism of the linear beam-size effect at colliders
• Possibility to probe negative values of a Wigner function in scattering of a coherent superposition of electronic wave packets by atoms
• Dynamical enhancement of nonparaxial effects in the electromagnetic field of a vortex electron
• Scattering of twisted relativistic electrons by atoms
• On Wigner function of a vortex electron

Cited by in corpus (16)

• Promises and challenges of high-energy vortex states collisions
• Non-linear quantum effects in electromagnetic radiation of a vortex electron
• Shifting physics of vortex particles to higher energies via quantum entanglement
• Generation of vortex particles via generalized measurements
• Twisted particle collisions: a new tool for spin physics
• Quantum mechanical formulation of the Busch theorem
• Unambiguous detection of high energy vortex states via the superkick effect
• Generation of vortex electrons by atomic photoionization
• Observability of the superkick effect within a quantum-field-theoretical approach
• Studying highly relativistic vortex-electron beams by atomic scattering
• Threshold effects in high-energy vortex state collisions
• Transfer of spin to orbital angular momentum in the Bethe-Heitler process
• Photon emission by vortex particles accelerated in a linac
• Angular momentum dynamics of vortex particles in accelerators
• Vortex particles in axially symmetric fields and applications of the quantum Busch theorem
• Universal features of high-energy scattering of Laguerre-Gaussian states