2002/07/31 by C. S. Lam, Gregory Mahlon, Wei Zhu
Physics and Astronomy · #High-Energy Particle Collisions Research #Particle physics theoretical and experimental studies #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #hep-ph #nucl-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.66.074005
published as Phys.Rev. D66 (2002) 074005 · One reference and two short comments added. To appear in Physical Revies D
arxiv created 2002/08/09 · openalex publication_date 2002/10/11 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We introduce a Wilson line distribution function W_\ensuremathτ(v) to study gluon saturation at small Feynman xF, or large \ensuremathτ=ln(1/xF). This new distribution can be obtained from the distribution W_\ensuremathτ(\ensuremathα) of the color glass condensate model and the Jalilian-Marian--Iancu--McLerran--Weigert--Leonidov--Kovner (JIMWLK) renormalization group equation. W_\ensuremathτ(v) is physically more relevant, and mathematically simpler to deal with because of unitarity of the Wilson line v. A JIMWLK equation is derived for W_\ensuremathτ(v); its properties are studied. These properties are used to complete Mueller's derivation of the JIMWLK equation, though for W_\ensuremathτ(v) and not W_\ensuremathτ(\ensuremathα). They are used to derive a generalized Balitsky-Kovchegov equation for higher multipole amplitudes. They are also used to compute the unintegrated gluon distribution at xF=0, yielding a completely flat spectrum in transverse momentum squared k2, with a known height. This is similar but not identical to the mean field result at small k2.