Observation of exclusive γγ production in pp¯ collisions at √s=1.96 TeV.

We have observed exclusive γγ production in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV, using data from 1.11±0.07 fb(-1) integrated luminosity taken by the Run II Collider Detector at Fermilab. We selected events with two electromagnetic showers, each with transverse energy E(T)>2.5 GeV and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aaltonen, T, Albrow, MG, Alvarez González, B, Amerio, S, Amidei, D, Anastassov, A, Annovi, A, Antos, J, Apollinari, G, Appel, J, Arisawa, T, Artikov, A, Asaadi, J, Ashmanskas, W, Auerbach, B, Aurisano, A, Azfar, F, Badgett, W, Bae, T, Barbaro-Galtieri, A, Barnes, V, Barnett, B, Barria, P, Bartos, P, Bauce, M
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2012
Description
Summary:We have observed exclusive γγ production in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV, using data from 1.11±0.07 fb(-1) integrated luminosity taken by the Run II Collider Detector at Fermilab. We selected events with two electromagnetic showers, each with transverse energy E(T)>2.5 GeV and pseudorapidity |η|<1.0, with no other particles detected in -7.4<η<+7.4. The two showers have similar E(T) and azimuthal angle separation Δφ~π; 34 events have two charged particle tracks, consistent with the QED process pp¯→p+e(+)e(-)+p¯ by two-photon exchange, while 43 events have no charged tracks. The number of these events that are exclusive π(0)π(0) is consistent with zero and is <15 at 95% C.L. The cross section for pp¯→p+γγ+p¯ with |η(γ)|<1.0 and E(T)(γ)>2.5 GeV is 2.48(-0.35)(+0.40)(stat)(-0.51)(+0.40)(syst) pb.