Next-to-Leading Order Computation of Exclusive Diffractive Light Vector Meson Production in a Saturation Framework

Abstract

We perform the first next-to-leading order computation of the γ^{(*)}→V (ρ,ϕ,ω) exclusive impact factor in the QCD shock-wave approach and in the most general kinematics. This paves the way to the very first quantitative study of high-energy nucleon and nucleus saturation beyond the leading order for a whole range of small-x exclusive processes, to be measured in ep, eA, pp, and pA collisions at existing and future colliders.