Extracting the Pomeron-Pomeron-f2(1270) coupling in the pp → ppπ+ π- reaction through the angular distribution of the pions

We discuss how to extract the Pomeron-Pomeron-f(2)(1270) [PPf(2)(1270)] coupling within the tensor-Pomeron model. The general PPf(2)(1270) coupling is a combination of seven basic couplings (tensorial structures). To study these tensorial structures, we propose to measure the central-exclusive production of a pi(+)pi(-) pair in the invariant mass region of the f(2)(1270) meson. An analysis of angular distributions in the pi(+)pi(-) rest system, using the Collins-Soper and the Gottfried-Jackson frames, turns out to be particularly relevant for our purpose. For both frames, the cos theta(pi+) and phi(pi+) distributions are discussed. We find that the azimuthal angle distributions in these frames are fairly sensitive to the choice of the PPf(2) coupling. We show results for the resonance case alone as well as when the dipion continuum is included. We show the influence of the experimental cuts on the angular distributions in the context of dedicated experimental studies at RHIC and LHC energies. Absorption corrections are included for our final distributions.