English

Probing non-perturbative QCD aspects on particle production in pp collisions with forward-backward correlations using \texttt{PYTHIA8}

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology 2025-08-06 v1 Nuclear Theory

Abstract

We employ PYTHIA8 simulations to study forward-backward (FB) correlations in pp collisions at LHC energies, probing non-perturbative QCD dynamics via color reconnection (CR) and QCD radiation (ISR/FSR). Using \texttt{PYTHIA8} (v8.311) under ALICE/ATLAS kinematics, we analyze: extensive: FB multiplicity (bcorrmultb_{\rm corr}^{\rm mult}) and summed pTp_{\rm T} (bcorrpTb_{\rm corr}^{\sum p_{\rm T}}) correlations; intensive: FB mean pTp_{\rm T} (bcorrpTb_{\rm corr}^{\overline p_{\rm T}}) correlations; and \textit{strongly intensive:} ΣNFNB\Sigma_{\rm N_F N_B} quantity in symmetric pseudorapidity intervals, validated against available experimental data. Systematic studies of bcorrmultb_{\rm corr}^{\rm mult} as functions of ηgap\eta_{\rm gap}, ηsep\eta_{\rm sep}, and η\eta-φ\varphi sectors show MPI-based CR (ranges 3.6, 5.4) and QCD Color Rope significantly improve agreement with data. ISR/FSR critically influence bcorrmultb_{\rm corr}^{\rm mult} and bcorrpTb_{\rm corr}^{\sum p_{\rm T}}, with ISR dominant than FSR. Disabling ISR/FSR fails to replicate ηgap\eta_{\rm gap}-dependent trends. Further, bcorrpTb_{\rm corr}^{\sum p_{\rm T}} shows minimal CR-range sensitivity but the correlation strength increases when CR is disabled. Intensive quantity, bcorrpTb_{\rm corr}^{\overline p_{\rm T}}, exhibit the opposite behavior to extensive observables i.e. the magnitude of bcorrpTb_{\rm corr}^{\overline p_{\rm T}} increases with the increase of CR strength, highlighting the distinct influence of CR on intensive versus extensive observables. Its azimuthal dependence indicates that parton showers drive short-range correlations. The analysis of the strongly intensive quantity as a function of pseudorapidity gap indicates that FSR plays a dominant role at larger gaps, in contrast to the behavior observed in FB multiplicity correlations.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2508.03124,
  title  = {Probing non-perturbative QCD aspects on particle production in pp collisions with forward-backward correlations using \texttt{PYTHIA8}},
  author = {Rohit Agarwala and Kalyan Dey},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.03124},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

18 pages, 15 figures