Speaker
Description
Backward, or $u$-channel, production of mesons in $ep$ collisions results in a nearly-stopped proton and a meson with a large forward momentum. In conventional (forward, $t$-channel) production, the momentum transfer from the proton to the meson is small and is modeled by pomeron-exchange trajectories. These $t$-channel production cross sections can be transformed into target density distributions in the transverse plane. The less well-understood $u$-channel production is modeled by a baryon-exchange trajectory. The transformation of $u$-channel cross sections into the transverse plane may likewise provide insight on the distribution of baryon number within the proton. We discuss these interpretations using existing $u$-channel cross section data, and prospects for expanding on this data at the future Electron-Ion Collider will be assessed.
