Speaker
Andrea Signori
(Jefferson Lab)
Description
I will illustrate some of the opportunities for hadron structure studies at a future multi-purpose fixed-target experiment at the LHC. The proton beams at the LHC allow for the most energetic fixed-target experiments ever performed, opening new kinematic windows on hadron and nuclear physics which integrate the knowledge available from collider experiments (in particular RHIC and EIC).
I will discuss how AFTER@LHC will shed light on the proton-spin puzzle by investigating Transverse-Momentum Dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs). Unpolarized proton-proton collisions allow to access unpolarized quark and gluon TMDs, the Boer-Mulders quark TMD and the distribution of linearly polarized gluons in unpolarized protons. Looking at polarized targets, single-transverse-spin asymmetries (STSAs) for processes such as Drell-Yan lepton-pair and quarkonium production will allow measurements of polarized TMDs for quarks and gluons, such as the Sivers functions.
Moreover, I will show how, thanks to the boost of the fixed target mode, the acceptance of detectors like LHCb and ALICE in the fixed-target mode allows to analyze processes which are sensitive to the intrinsic charm content of the proton. In particular, I will address some aspects of D meson, charm + photon as well as J/psi-pair production.
Primary author
Andrea Signori
(Jefferson Lab)
