Speaker
Description
Coherent J/$\psi$ photoproduction in heavy-ion collisions has emerged as a sensitive probe of both the initial-state gluonic structure of nuclei and the dynamical electromagnetic fields generated by relativistic ions. While traditionally studied in ultra-peripheral collisions (UPCs), recent experimental observations by ALICE and STAR collaborations reveal surprising enhancements in low-$p_T$ J/$\psi$ yields in AA collisions with significant nuclear overlap—challenging the assumption that coherent photonuclear processes vanish in hadronic collision regimes. This talk presents a comprehensive theoretical framework to address the survival of coherent J/$\psi$ photoproduction in overlapping AA systems across RHIC and LHC energies. Furthermore, we will delve into an in-depth discussion and critical review of the implications and applications stemming from the linear polarization effects intrinsic to this photoproduction mechanism.
