Odderon-Pomeron Interference

Abstract

We show that the asymmetry in the fractional energy of charm versus anticharm jets produced in high energy diffractive photoproduction is sensitive to the interference of the Odderon $(C = -)$ and Pomeron $(C = +)$ exchange amplitudes in QCD. We predict the dynamical shape of the asymmetry in a simple model and estimate its magnitude to be of the order 15% using an Odderon coupling to the proton which saturates constraints from proton-proton vs. proton-antiproton elastic scattering. Measurements of this asymmetry at HERA could provide firm experimental evidence for the presence of Odderon exchange in the high energy limit of strong interactions.

12 pages, 4 figures, Minor corrections, Main results unchanged, Contribution from photon exchange added, Numerical estimates updated and uncertainties clarified. To appear in Physics Letters B