BOosting the knowledge of the Strong interaction from quarkONium : an advanced simulation framework and beyond

Project Information

BOSON

Grant agreement ID: 101041109

DOI

10.3030/101041109

EC signature date 19 April 2022

Start date 1 October 2022

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 499 129,00

EU contribution

€ 1 499 129,00

Coordinated by

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
France

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BOSON (BOosting the knowledge of the Strong interaction from quarkONium : an advanced simulation framework and beyond)

Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2025-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Quarkonium is a unique form of microscopic matter found in Nature, consisting of a heavy quark and a heavy anti-quark bound together by strong forces to form a composite particle. The first quarkonium particle was discovered 50 years ago. Due to their non-relativistic nature, quarkonia are often considered the simplest hadrons, analogous to hydrogen atoms in quantum electrodynamics. It is well known that we can probe a new matter phase--the so-called quark gluon plasma--in the high-temperature and high-density nuclear environment and the inner structures of nucleons and nuclei by producing quarkonia in high-energy collisions of particles. These knowledges are also essential for understanding our Universe. However, despite nearly three decades of theoretical efforts, a comprehensive theoretical interpretation of quarkonium production within the well-established microscopic theory of strong interactions — quantum chromodynamics — remains elusive. The BOSON project aims to address this challenge by developing an advanced simulation framework to assess all critical perturbative and non-perturbative theoretical aspects from a global perspective. The project will identify key missing components and potentially resolve longstanding puzzles in the field. Moreover, it will exploit novel theoretical methods tailored to bound-state problems. These tools would be indispensable for fully exploiting data from the Large Hadron Collider and future experimental facilities worldwide.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

To address these challenges, it is essential to significantly enhance the quality and precision of theoretical predictions. The BOSON project aims to advance the quarkonium studies with three primary objectives:
1. Pinning down the quarkonium production mechanism;
2. Advancing the precision of theoretical predictions;
3. Maximizing the extraction of physics information from quarkonium data.
To achieve these goals, BOSON will pursue three key strategies:
1. Developing an automated tool at next-to-leading order for arbitrary processes involving quarkonia and elementary point particles, with consistently interfacing to general-purpose Monte Carlo event generators;
2. Performing next-to-next-to-leading order cross-section calculations for key inclusive quarkonium processes;
3. Applying these theoretical advancements to phenomenological studies in particle, nuclear, and heavy-ion physics.

In the first 30 months of the project, many research efforts in this direction have been underway, some of which have already resulted in publications in scientific journals. For instance, a general algorithm for handling infrared singularities in quarkonium production processes at next-to-leading order has been established. Additionally, a pioneering next-to-next-to-leading order calculation of quarkonium production at hadron colliders is in progress, and various methods for calculating two-loop scattering amplitudes are being explored. The quarkonium module within the MadGraph5_aMC@NLO framework is currently under development.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project aims to achieve the following advancements beyond the current state of the art:
1. A comprehensive theoretical framework for the precise simulation of quarkonium production;
2. Numerous cutting-edge results for quarkonium production processes, including some at next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy or beyond;
3. Novel theoretical methodologies specifically tailored to address bound-state problems;
4. Global determinations of non-perturbative parameters relevant to quarkonium production;
5. Insights into the internal structures of nucleons and nuclei derived from quarkonium production data.
These results will enhance our understanding of the field, benefiting not only the Large Hadron Collider community but also physicists working with other experimental facilities worldwide.

In the first 30 months, steady progress has been made, particularly on items 1, 2 and 3, while the remaining two items depend on the successful completion of the first three.

A cloud of keywords related to quarkonium and to the BOSON project