A model for high energy rho meson leptoproduction based on collinear factorization and dipole models

Abstract: We present a phenomenological model for the helicity amplitudes T11 and T00 of the rho meson exclusive diffractive leptoproduction in the forward limit. This model leads to a very good description of the polarized cross-sections sigmaT and sigmaL when compared to HERA data. This model is based on the impact factor representation of the helicity amplitudes. The gamma* -> rho impact factor is computed within the light-cone collinear factorization scheme, the impact parameter space representation allowing to factorize out the dipole-target amplitude. Finally our description combines a model for the dipole-target amplitude that includes the saturation effects with the results for the impact factor where the twist 2 and twist 3 distribution amplitudes of the rho meson are involved.