Spin alignment measurement of vector mesons produced in high energy collisions

This paper covers the recent experimental development on spin alignment measurements of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] vector mesons in heavy-ion and [Formula: see text] collisions at RHIC and LHC energies. Measurements in [Formula: see text] collisions at LEP energies are also discussed. Spin alignment of vector mesons is studied by measuring the second diagonal element [Formula: see text] of spin density matrix. The spin density matrix element [Formula: see text] is obtained by measuring the angular distribution of vector meson decay daughter with respect to the quantization axis in vector meson rest frame. Measured [Formula: see text] values for vector mesons are found to be larger than [Formula: see text] at high momentum in [Formula: see text] collisions at LEP energies, suggesting the preferential production of vector meson with helicity zero state from the fragmentation process. The [Formula: see text] values are found to be smaller than [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] implies no spin alignment) for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] vector mesons at low transverse momentum in Pb–Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV. These observations are qualitatively consistent with the expectation from models which attribute the spin alignment effect due to polarization of quarks in the presence of large initial angular momentum in noncentral heavy-ion collisions and its subsequent hadronization by the process of recombination. No significant spin alignment effect is observed for [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] in mid-central Pb–Pb collisions and for vector mesons in [Formula: see text] collisions. However, the preliminary results of [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] mesons are larger than [Formula: see text] at intermediate [Formula: see text] in Au–Au collisions at RHIC energies and can be attributed to the presence of [Formula: see text] meson field. Although there is evidence of spin alignment effect of vector mesons in heavy-ion collisions but the measured effect is surprisingly larger in context of hyperon polarization. Therefore, these results will trigger further theoretical study.

The Ξ-nuclear potential constrained by recent Ξ– hypernuclei experiments

The $\Xi$-nuclear potential is investigated in the quark mean-field (QMF) model based on recent results of the $\Xi^-+^{14}\rm{N}$ ($_{\Xi^-}^{15}\rm{C}$) system. The experimental data on the binding energy of $1p$-state $\Xi^-$ hyperon in $_{\Xi^-}^{15}\rm{C}$ hypernuclei in KISO, IBUKI, E07-T011, E176-14-03-35 events are merged as $B_{\Xi^-}(1p)=1.14\pm0.11$ MeV. With this constraint, the coupling strengths between the $\omega$ vector meson and $\Xi$ hyperon are fixed in three QMF parameter sets. At the same time, the $\Xi^-$ binding energy of $1s$ state in $_{\Xi^-}^{15}\rm{C}$ is predicted as $B_{\Xi^-}(1s)=5.66\pm0.38$ MeV with the same interactions, completely consistent with the data from the KINKA and IRRAWADDY events. Finally, the $\Xi$-nuclear potential is calculated in the symmetric nuclear matter in the framework of QMF models. It is $U_{\Xi }=-11.96\pm 0.85$ MeV at nuclear saturation density, which will be essential to determine the onset density of $\Xi$ hyperon in neutron star.

Vector-meson production and vector meson dominance

We consider the fidelity of the vector meson dominance (VMD) assumption as an instrument for relating the electromagnetic vector-meson production reaction $$e + p \rightarrow e^\prime + V + p$$ e + p → e ′ + V + p to the purely hadronic process $$V + p \rightarrow V+p$$ V + p → V + p . Analyses of the photon vacuum polarisation and the photon-quark vertex reveal that such a VMD Ansatz might be reasonable for light vector-mesons. However, when the vector-mesons are described by momentum-dependent bound-state amplitudes, VMD fails for heavy vector-mesons: it cannot be used reliably to estimate either a photon-to-vector-meson transition strength or the momentum dependence of those integrands that would arise in calculations of the different reaction amplitudes. Consequently, for processes involving heavy mesons, the veracity of both cross-section estimates and conclusions based on the VMD assumption should be reviewed, e.g., those relating to hidden-charm pentaquark production and the origin of the proton mass.

Test of quantum nonlocality via vector meson decays to KSKS

In the system of a pair of quantum-entangled neutral kaons from meson decays, when one kaon collapses into the [Formula: see text] state, the other will collapse instantaneously into the [Formula: see text] state, due to entanglement and nonlocality. However, if the alternative hypothesis is correct and there is a time window during which one kaon is unaware that the other has decayed, some quantum mechanically prohibited [Formula: see text] decays may occur. We calculate the branching ratios of [Formula: see text] in vector meson decays under locality hypothesis and compare them with experimental results. We show that the branching ratio of [Formula: see text] under locality assumption is already excluded by the BESIII experimental upper limit. Additional experimental results are proposed to perform this test in the future.

Exclusive heavy vector meson electroproduction to NLO in collinear factorisation

We compute the exclusive electroproduction, γ*p → Vp, of heavy quarkonia V to NLO in the collinear factorisation scheme, which has been formally proven for this process. The inclusion of an off-shell virtuality Q2 carried by the photon extends the photoproduction phase space of the exclusive heavy quarkonia observable to electroproduction kinematics. This process is relevant for diffractive scattering at HERA and the upcoming EIC, as well as at the proposed LHeC and FCC.