Exclusive meson pair production in proton-proton collisions

Abstract: We present a study of the exclusive production of meson pairs in the four-body $pp \to pp \pi^{+} \pi^{-}$, $pp K^{+}K^{-}$ reactions at high energies which constitute an irreducible background to resonance states (e.g. $\phi$, $f_{2}(1270)$, $f_{0}(1500)$, $f_{2}'(1525)$, $\chi_{c0}$). We consider central diffractive contribution mediated by Pomeron and Reggeon exchanges and new diffractive mechanism of emission of pions/kaons from the proton lines. We include absorption effects due to proton-proton interaction and pion/kaon rescattering. Predictions for the total cross section and differential distributions in pion/kaon rapidity and transverse momentum as well as two-pion/kaon invariant mass are presented for the RHIC, Tevatron and LHC colliders. Finally we consider a measurement of exclusive production of a scalar $\chi_{c0}$ meson via $\chi_{c0} \to \pi^{+} \pi^{-}$, $K^{+} K^{-}$ decay.