Exploring the photoproduction of $$\rho $$ ρ and $$\phi $$ ϕ in hadronic heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

Abstract Significant enhancements of J/ $$\psi $$ ψ production have been observed by various experiments at RHIC and LHC for very low transverse momenta in peripheral heavy-ion collisions, which has ignited a surge of investigations into photon-induced processes in hadronic heavy-ion collisions (HHICs). Within this wave of research enthusiasm, the search for more photon induced products in HHICs becomes paramount. In this paper, we perform the calculation of the $$\rho $$ ρ and $$\phi $$ ϕ production resulting from photon-nucleus interactions in HHICs, which are crucial probes for studying the properties of quark-gluon plasma (QGP) in HHICs. Our study reveals that, in comparison to hadronic production, the photon-induced production of $$\rho $$ ρ and $$\phi $$ ϕ does not reach the same level of significance as that observed in J/ $$\psi $$ ψ production. Nevertheless, it remains substantial, especially in peripheral collisions, holding great promise for experimental verification in the imminent future.