Physics Theory Seminar with Stella Schindler on Diffraction and small-x dynamics at the EIC

In the early 2030’s, the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) will come online in the U.S., opening up a new window to the internal structure of protons and ions. About 20% of collisions at the EIC are expected to be diffractive, exhibiting large gaps devoid of particles. Diffractive processes are believed to be key tools for unlocking the foremost open frontier of nuclear physics—the small-x energy regime where protons and ions become saturated with gluons—yet nonetheless remain not fully understood. We use the technique of effective field theory (EFT) to derive the first factorization formula for the forward physics in electron-proton diffraction, connecting experimental cross-sections to the fundamental underlying hadronic dynamics at play. This factorization stands in sharp contrast to conventional formulas for diffraction used in global fits, and provides new testable predictions for diffraction.  In particular, we demonstrate that there are four large structure functions at leading power, two of which have been largely overlooked in the literature. This opens up exciting new possibilities for the EIC. 

This lecture was made possible by the William C. Ferguson fund.