Physics of Large-x Nuclear Suppression

Abstract

We discuss a common feature of all known reactions on nuclear targets - a significant suppression at large x. Simple interpretation of this effect is based on energy conservation restrictions in initial state parton rescatterings. Using the light-cone dipole approach this mechanism is shown to control variety of processes on nuclear targets: high-pT particle production at different rapidities as well as direct and virtual (Drell-Yan) photon production. We demonstrate universality and wide applicability of this mechanism allowing to describe large-x effects also at SPS and FNAL energies too low for the onset of coherent effects or shadowing.

4 pages, 6 figures - To appear in the conference proceedings for Quark Matter 2009, March 30 - April 4, Knoxville, Tennessee. Only minor changes in text