Calculations of Di-Hadron Production via Two-Photon Processes in Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collisions

Abstract

Two-photon processes in relativistic heavy-ion collisions have emerged as a critical probe of quantum electrodynamics in ultra-intense electromagnetic fields, with recent focus extending beyond dileptons to hadronic final states. At present, quantitative studies of di-hadron production via two-photon interactions remain scarce. In this work, we employ the Equivalent Photon Approximation and the two-photon fusion measurements from \(e^{+}e^{-}\) collisions to obtain differential cross-section predictions for \(\pi^{+}\pi^{-}\), \(K^{+}K^{-}\), and \(p\bar{p}\) pairs produced in ultra-peripheral \(\mathrm{Au{+}Au}\) collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 200\,\text{GeV}\) within the STAR acceptance, as well as in \(\mathrm{Pb{+}Pb}\) collisions at \(\sqrt{s_{NN}} = 5.36\,\text{TeV}\) within typical LHC acceptance. The calculations deliver the unified baseline for light-meson and baryon pairs in this environment, supplying benchmarks for upcoming STAR and LHC measurements and guiding future systematic investigations of hadronic two-photon processes at RHIC and LHC facilities.