Photoproduction of C-even quarkonia at the EIC and EicC

The eta(c) photoproduction in ep collision has long been proposed as an ideal process to probe the existence of Odderon. In the current work, we systematically investigate the photoproduction of various C-even heavy quarkonia (exemplified by eta(c(b)), and chi(c(b)J) with J = 0, 1, 2) via one-photon exchange channel, at the lowest order in as and heavy quark velocity in the context of Non-relativistic quantum chromodynamics (NRQCD) factorization. We find that the photoproduction rates of eta(c) through this mechanism are comparable in magnitude with that through the Odderon-initiated mechanism, even in the Regge limit (s >> -t), though the latter types of predictions suffer from considerable theoretical uncertainties. The future measurements of these types of quarkonium photoproduction processes in EIC and EicC are crucial to ascertain which mechanism plays the dominant role.

Automated summary

In this study, the photoproduction of various C-even heavy quarkonia, such as eta(c(b)) and chi(c(b)J) with J = 0, 1, 2, is investigated via one-photon exchange channel in ep collision. The results show that the photoproduction rates of eta(c) through this mechanism are comparable to that through the Odderon-initiated mechanism, even in the Regge limit. Future measurements in EIC and EicC are crucial to determine the dominant mechanism.