Hadronic production of S- and P-wave states of (b-bar c)-quarkonium

Abstract

In the leading $O(\alpha_s^4)$ order of the perturbative QCD, the hadronic production cross-sections of $S$- and $P$-wave states of $B_c$ meson are calculated. The results for the $S$-wave levels are compared with the values given in other papers as well as in the model of the $b$ quark fragmenatation into $B_c$. In the given order, the cross-sections of the hadronic production of the $P$-wave states are calculated for the first time. Their contribution into the $B_c$ meson production is less than 10\%. There is a strong difference between the predictions of the fragmentation model and the exact perturbative calculations. These difeerences are discussed in details for the differential distributions over various kinematical quantities.