XYZ spectroscopy at electron-hadron facilities. III. Semi-inclusive processes with vector exchange

Inclusive production processes will be important for the first observations of XYZ states at new generation electron-hadron colliders, as they generally benefit from larger cross sections than their exclusive counterparts. We make predictions of semi-inclusive photoproduction of the χc1(1P) and X(3872), whose peripheral production is assumed to be dominated by vector exchanges. We validate the applicability of vector meson dominance in the axial-vector charmonium sector and calculate production rates at center-of-mass energies relevant for future experimental facilities. We find the semi-inclusive cross sections near the threshold to be enhanced by a factor of ∼2-3 compared to the exclusive reaction and well-suited for a first observation in photoproduction.