Forward $$\gamma $$ γ +jet production in proton-proton and proton-lead collisions at LHC within the FoCal calorimeter acceptance

Abstract

Abstract Using the small-x improved transverse momentum dependent factorization (ITMD), which, for a general two-to-two massless scattering can be proved within the color glass condensate (CGC) theory for transverse momenta of particles greater than the saturation scale, we provide predictions for isolated forward photon and jet production in proton-proton and proton-nucleus collisions within the planned ALICE FoCal detector acceptance. We study azimuthal correlations, $$p_T$$ p T spectra, as well as normalized ratios of proton-proton cross sections for different energies. The only TMD distribution needed for that process is the “dipole” TMD gluon distribution, which in our computations is based on HERA data and undergoes momentum space BK evolution equation with DGLAP corrections and Sudakov resummation. We conclude, that the process provides an excellent probe of the dipole TMD gluon distribution in saturation regime.