Exclusive meson pair production in proton-proton collisions

Abstract

We present a study of the exclusive production of meson pairs in the\nfour-body $pp \\to pp \\pi^{+} \\pi^{-}$, $pp K^{+}K^{-}$ reactions at high\nenergies which constitute an irreducible background to resonance states (e.g.\n$\\phi$, $f_{2}(1270)$, $f_{0}(1500)$, $f_{2}'(1525)$, $\\chi_{c0}$). We consider\ncentral diffractive contribution mediated by Pomeron and Reggeon exchanges and\nnew diffractive mechanism of emission of pions/kaons from the proton lines. We\ninclude absorption effects due to proton-proton interaction and pion/kaon\nrescattering. Predictions for the total cross section and differential\ndistributions in pion/kaon rapidity and transverse momentum as well as\ntwo-pion/kaon invariant mass are presented for the RHIC, Tevatron and LHC\ncolliders. Finally we consider a measurement of exclusive production of a\nscalar $\\chi_{c0}$ meson via $\\chi_{c0} \\to \\pi^{+} \\pi^{-}$, $K^{+} K^{-}$\ndecay.\n