Exclusive processes in $ep$ collisions at the EIC and LHeC: A closer look on the predictions of saturation models

Abstract

The exclusive production of vector mesons and photons in $ep$ collisions is investigated considering three phenomenological saturation models based on distinct assumptions for the treatment of the dipole - hadron scattering amplitude. The latest high precision HERA data for the reduced and vector meson cross sections are used to update the saturation model proposed by Marquet - Peschanski - Soyez (MPS), which predicts that the saturation model is dependent of the squared momentum transfer $t$. The MPS predictions for the photon virtuality, energy and $t$ - dependencies of the exclusive $ρ$, $J/Ψ$ and DVCS cross sections are presented and a detailed comparison with the results derived using the impact parameter saturation models is performed. Our results indicate that a future experimental analysis of the $t$ - distribution $dσ/dt$ for exclusive processes in the kinematical range that will covered by the EIC and LHeC, considering the distinct photon polarizations and large values of $t$, will be able to discriminate between the distinct approaches for the QCD dynamics at high energies.