Exclusive dilepton production at forward rapidities in $PbPb$ collisions

Abstract

The dilepton production in diffractive and exclusive processes at forward rapidities considering ultraperipheral $PbPb$ collisions at the LHC is investigated. Predictions for the $e^+ e^-$, $\mu^+ \mu^-$ and $\tau^+ \tau^-$ cross sections are presented taking into account of realistic cuts that can be implemented by the LHCb Collaboration in a future experimental analysis. Our results indicate that the background associated with the diffractive production can be strongly suppressed and the exclusive processes can be cleanly separated. For the $\tau^+ \tau^-$ production, the semi and purely leptonic decay channels are considered. Our results indicate that a future experimental analysis of the dilepton production at the LHCb is feasible and can be useful to search for BSM physics.