$π^+ π^-$ and $π^0 π^0$ pair production in photon-photon and in ultraperipheral ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions

Abstract: We discuss ${\gamma}{\gamma}\to {\pi}{\pi}$ reactions, starting from the two-pion threshold up to about $\sqrt{s_{{\gamma}{\gamma}}}$ = 6 GeV. We include the dipion continuum due to pion exchange (for ${\pi}^+{\pi}^-$) and ${\rho}^\pm$ exchange (for ${\pi}^0{\pi}^0$) as well as the dipion ${\sigma}(600)$, $f_0(980)$ and $f_2(1270)$ s-channel resonances. We discuss also a possible contribution of less pronounced scalar resonances $f_0(1500)$ and $f_0(1710)$ as well as the tensor resonances $f'2(1525)$, $f_2(1565)$ and $f_2(1950)$. We find that the inclusion of the spin-four $f_4(2050)$ resonant state improves the situation at $\sqrt{s{{\gamma}{\gamma}}} \approx$ 2 GeV. We estimate the relevant diphoton partial decay width to be ${\Gamma}{f_4 \to {\gamma}{\gamma}} \approx$ 0.7 keV. At higher energies, Brodsky-Lepage and hand-bag mechanisms are included in addition. We nicely describe the world data for ${\gamma}{\gamma}\to {\pi}{\pi}$ for the first time both for the total cross section and angular distributions. The cross section for the production of two-pions in ultraperipheral ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions is calculated in the impact parameter space Equivalent Photon Approximation (EPA). We obtain the nuclear cross section of 46.7 mb for ${\pi}^+{\pi}^-$ and 8.7 mb for ${\pi}^0{\pi}^0$ at the LHC energy $\sqrt{s{NN}} =$ 3.5 TeV and minimal cut on pion transverse momentum $p_t>$ 0.2 GeV. Differential distributions in impact parameter, dipion invariant mass, single pion and dipion rapidity, pion transverse momentum as well as pion pseudorapidity are shown. The ${\gamma}{\gamma}\to {\pi}^+ {\pi}^-$ subprocess constitutes a background to $A A \to A {\rho}^0 (\to {\pi}^+ {\pi}^-) A$ process.