Inelastic photoproduction of polarised $J/\psi$

Abstract

The comparison of $J/\psi$ photoproduction data in the inelastic region with theoretical predictions based on the NRQCD approach has remained somewhat ambiguous and controversial, in particular at large values of the inelasticity variable $z$. We study the polar and azimuthal decay angular distribution of $J/\psi$ mesons as functions of $z$ and transverse momentum $p_t$. Future measurements of decay angular distributions at the HERA $ep$ collider will provide a new test of theoretical approaches to factorisation between perturbation theory and quarkonium bound-state dynamics and shed light on the colour-octet production fraction in various regions of $z$ and $p_t$.