Intrinsic parton transverse momentum in next-to-leading-order pion production

الأصل · EN

We study pion production in proton-proton collisions within a pQCD-improved parton model in next-to-leading order augmented by intrinsic transverse momentum (k⊥) of the partons. We find the introduction of k⊥ necessary to reproduce the experimental data in the CERN SPS to RHIC energy range. We study the influence of intrinsic k⊥ on the so-called K factor, the ratio of the NLO cross section to the Born term. A strong pₜ dependence is seen, especially in the 3-6 GeV transverse momentum region of the outgoing pion, where nuclear effects (e.g. the Cronin effect) play an important role.