Diffractive $J/\Psi$ photoproduction at large momentum transfer in coherent hadron - hadron interactions at CERN LHC

Abstract

The vector meson production in coherent hadron-hadron interactions at LHC energies is studied assuming that the color singlet $t$-channel exchange carries large momentum transfer. We consider the non-forward solution of the BFKL equation at high energy and large momentum transfer and estimate the rapidity distribution and total cross section for the process $h_1 h_2 \to h_1 J/\Psi X$, where $h_i$ can be a proton or a nucleus. We predict large rates, which implies that the experimental identification can be feasible at the LHC.