Production of tensor glueball in ultraperipheral pp, AuAu and PbPb collisions

Abstract

AbstractIn this work, we discuss the production of a tensor glueball in the proton–proton and nuclei–nuclei ultraperipheral collisions (UPCs). The cross section is calculated in the equivalent photon approximation (EPA). The total UPCs cross section is related to the matrix elements of $$\gamma \gamma \rightarrow \pi ^0 G_2$$ γ γ → π 0 G 2 process, which can be described in terms of the neutral pion and tensor glueball $$G_2$$ G 2 ’s distribution amplitudes. The predictions for the rapidity distributions of UPCs cross sections and total cross sections are presented. The theoretical uncertainty of the whole calculation is considered. We consider the decay modes of the final-state tensor glueball and estimate the corresponding number of events. We estimate that there are about 10 tensor glueball $$G_2\rightarrow \phi \phi $$ G 2 → ϕ ϕ signal events in PbPb collisions at the LHC. We also argue that the lead–lead UPC experiments at future HE-LHC and FCC experiments will provide larger opportunities to measure tensor glueballs.