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We present two NLO exclusive impact factors computed in the QCD shock wave approach. These are the very first steps towards precision studies of a wide range of high energy exclusive processes with saturation effects in $ep$, $eA$, $pp$ and $pA$ collisions., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of XXV International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subject - DIS 2017, 3-7 April 2017, University of Birmingham, UK

We calculate the amplitude of elastic photon-photon scattering via a single quark loop in the Double-Logarithmic Approximation, presuming all external photons to be off-shell and unpolarized.. At the same time we account for the running coupling effects. We consider this process in the forward kinematics at arbitrary relations between t and the external photon virtualities. We obtain explicit expressions for the photon-photon scattering amplitudes in all double-logarithmic kinematic regions. Then we calculate the small-x asymptotics of the obtained amplitudes and compare them with the parent amplitudes, thereby fixing the applicability regions of the asymptorics, i.e. fixing the applicability region for the non-vacuum Reggeons. We find that these Reggeons should be used at x < 10^{-8} only., Comment: 18 pages, 7 figures misprints and typos corrected

We perform the first next-to-leading order computation of the $\gamma^{(*)} \to V$ ($\rho, \phi, \omega$) impact factor in the QCD shockwave approach and in the most general kinematics. This paves the way to the very first quantitative study of high-energy nucleon and nucleus saturation beyond the leading order, in various processes to be measured in $ep$, $eA$, $pp$ and $pA$ collisions at existing and future colliders., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure

Exclusive processes of heavy meson production and spacelike and timelike deeply virtual Compton scattering allow us to investigate the hadron structure in terms of Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs). We review recent developments in the NLO description of such processes., Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the 6th International Conference on the Physics Opportunities at an Electron-Ion Collider

Generalized parton distributions (GPDs) enter QCD factorization theorems for hard exclusive reactions. They encode rich information about hadron partonic structure. We explore a possibility to constrain GPDs in experiments at LHC considering two different exclusive processes: the timelike Compton scattering and the photoproduction of heavy vector mesons., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures; presented at PHOTON 2015: International Conference on the Structure and the Interactions of the Photon, Novosibirsk, Russia, 15 - 19 June, 2015. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1411.3750

The dependence of the electric resistance R of nanoperforated graphene samples on the position of the Fermi level, which is varied by the gate voltage Vg, has been studied. Nanoperforation has been performed by irradiating graphene samples on a Si/SiO$_2$ substrate by heavy (xenon) or light (helium) ions. A series of regular peaks have been revealed on the R(Vg) dependence at low temperatures in zero magnetic field. These peaks are attributed to the passage of the Fermi level through an equidistant ladder of levels formed by orbitally quantized states of edge Dirac fermions rotating around each nanohole. The results are in agreement with the theory of edge states for massless Dirac fermions., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

Ultraperipheral collisions in hadron colliders give new opportunites to investigate the hadron stucture through exclusive photoproduction processes. We describe the possibility of measuring the Generalized Parton Distributions in the Timelike Compton Scattering process and in the production of heavy vector meson., Comment: to appear in Proceedings Diffraction 2014, Primosten, Croatia, sept 10-16, 2014

We consider within QCD collinear factorization the process $p+p\to {\rm jet} +{\rm jet} +X$, where two forward high-$p_T$ jets are produced with a large separation in rapidity $\Delta y$ (Mueller-Navelet jets [1]). The hard part of the reaction receives large higher-order corrections $\sim \alpha^n_s (\Delta y)^n$, which can be accounted for in the BFKL approach. We calculate cross section and azimuthal decorrelation, using the next-to-leading order jet vertices, in the small-cone approximation [2]., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; presented at the International Workshop "Diffraction 2012", Puerto del Carmen (Spain), September 10-15, 2012

We review here two approaches to describe hard leptoproduction of transversally polarized rho-meson, based on recent calculation of the gamma*T -> rhoT impact factor up to twist 3 accuracy in the collinear factorization frame, including 2- and 3- particles Fock-states. The first approach uses a model of the unintegrated gluon density (the proton impact factor) which allows a comparison of our predictions with H1 and ZEUS data for the ratios of helicity amplitudes T(gamma*T -> rhoT)/T(gamma*L -> rhoL) and T(gamma*T -> rhoL)/T(gamma*L -> rhoL). In the second approach, we transform the gamma*T -> rhoT impact factor into the impact parameter space. We show that the transformed amplitude factorizes according to conventional dipole picture. We shortly discuss a way to implement the nucleon saturation effects in our approach., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of 6th International Conference on Quarks and Nuclear Physics (QNP 2012), Palaiseau, France, April 16-20, 2012

We describe the hard leptoproduction of transversally polarized rho-meson, up to twist 3 accuracy, including 2- and 3- particles Fock-states, in the HERA kinematics of high center-of-mass energy. We first build a model based on a simple approach to the unintegrated gluon density (the parton impact factor) that we compare with H1 and ZEUS data for the ratios of helicity amplitudes T(gamma*T -> rhoT)/T(gamma*L -> rhoL) and T(gamma*T -> rhoL)/T(gamma*L -> rhoL) and get a good description of the data. We also show how saturation effects can be included in this model by extending the dipole representation of the scattering amplitude in coordinate space up to twist 3., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to appear in the proceedings of 20th International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS 2012), Bonn, Germany, 26-30 March 2012

We recalculate, completely within the original BFKL approach and at the next-to-leading order, the jet vertex relevant for the production of Mueller-Navelet jets in proton collisions and of forward jets in DIS. We consider both processes with incoming quark and gluon. The starting point is the definition of quark and gluon impact factors in the BFKL approach. Following this procedure we show explicitly that all infrared divergences cancel when renormalized parton densities are considered. We compare our results for the vertex with the former calculation of Refs. [1,2] and, in the case of the quark contribution, clarify the discrepancy present in the literature., Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures; a few references added; modified Abstract, Introduction and Summary to take into account that the equivalence between the results of Bartels et al. (Refs.[1,2]) and those of Colferai et al. (Ref.[23]) has been established

The Regge inspired k_T-factorization scheme expresses the scattering amplitude for exclusive leptoproduction of a light vector meson rho in terms of two impact factors, one for the gamma* - rho transition and the other one for the nucleon to nucleon transition, with, at leading order, a two "reggeized" gluon exchange in the t-channel. We report here on a recent phenomenological study where we apply a previously developped scheme which consistently takes into account the twist 3 distribution amplitudes for transversely polarized rho meson. The computation of the gamma* to rho impact factor are performed within collinear factorization of QCD, up to the twist 3 level, based on the Collinear Factorization scheme applied to the amplitudes gamma*g to g rho . Our results are in good agreement with high energy experimental data for the ratios of helicity amplitudes., Comment: 3 pages, 4 figures, To be published in the proceedings of the 2011 Europhysics Conference on High Energy Physics-HEP 2011, July 21-27, 2011 Grenoble, Rhone-Alpes, France

We apply a previously developed scheme to consistently include the twist-3 distribution amplitudes for transversely polarized rho meson in order to evaluate, in the framework of kT factorization, the helicity amplitudes for exclusive leptoproduction of a light vector meson, at leading order in alphaS. We compare our results with high energy experimental data for the ratios of helicity amplitudes T11/T00 and T01/T00 and get a good description of the data., Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, published version in PRD

Exclusive electroproduction of vector mesons is a crucial way to probe QCD factorization properties. Such a factorization is up to now only proven, at the twist 2 level, for a longitudinaly polarized meson. It is crucial to extend our understanding to the case of transversely polarized vector mesons. As a first step in this direction, we evaluate the impact factor of the transition gamma* -> rhoT, which is the relevant part of the amplitude within the kt-factorization approach valid at large energies, taking into account the twist 3 contributions, coming both from quark antiquark and from quark antiquark gluon correlators. We show that a gauge invariant expression is obtained with the help of QCD equations of motion., Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of 35th International Conference on High Energy Physics, (ICHEP 2010), Paris, France, July 22-28, 2010

Exclusive processes in hard electroproduction are one of the best place for understanding QCD in view of its factorization properties. In particular, in the limit of asymptotic gamma* p center of mass energy, they give an access to the perturbative Regge properties of QCD. The HERA experiment recently provided precise data for rho electroproduction, including all spin density matrix elements. From QCD, it is expected that such a process should factorize between a hard (calculable) coefficient function, and hadronic (p and rho) matrix elements. Such a factorization is up to now only proven for a longitudinaly polarized rho. Within the kt-factorization approach (valid at large gamma* p invariant mass), we evaluate the impact factor of the transition gamma* -> rhoT taking into account the twist 3 contributions. We show that a gauge invariant expression is obtained with the help of QCD equations of motion. More generally, relying on these equations and on the invariance under rotation on the light-cone of the factorized amplitude, the non-perturbative Distribution Amplitudes can be reduced to a minimal set. This opens the way to a consistent treatment of factorization for exclusive processes with a transversally polarized vector meson, and clarifies the equivalence of two proposed parametrizations of the rhoT distribution amplitudes, illustrated here by the gamma* -> rhoT impact factor., Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of 18th International Workshop on Deep-Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS 2010), Florence, Italy, 19-23 Apr 2010

We describe a consistent approach to factorization of scattering amplitudes for exclusive processes beyond the leading twist approximation. The method involves the Taylor expansion of the scattering amplitude in the momentum space around the dominant light-cone direction and thus naturally introduces an appropriate set of non-perturbative correlators which encode effects not only of the lowest but also of the higher Fock states of the produced particle. The reduction of original set of correlators to a set of independent ones is achieved with the help of equations of motion and invariance of the scattering amplitude under rotation on the light-cone. We compare the proposed method with the covariant method formulated in the coordinate space, based on the operator product expansion. We prove the equivalence of two proposed parametrizations of the rhoT distribution amplitudes. As a concrete application, we compute the expressions of the impact factor for the transition of virtual photon to transversally polarised rho-meson up to the twist 3 accuracy within these two quite differents methods and show that they are identical., Comment: 53 pages, 16 figures

Within the kt-factorization approach, we evaluate the impact factor of the transition gamma* -> rhoT taking into account the twist 3 contributions. We show that a gauge invariant expression is obtained with the help of QCD equations of motion. More generally, relying on these equations and on the invariance under rotation on the light-cone of the factorized amplitude, the non-perturbative Distribution Amplitudes can be reduced to a minimal set. This opens the way to a consistent treatment of factorization for exclusive processes with a transversally polarized vector meson. We prove the equivalence of two proposed parametrizations of the rhoT distribution amplitudes., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 10th Workshop on non-perturbative QCD, Paris, 8-12 June 2009

Exclusive processes in hard electroproduction is one of the best place for understanding the factorization properties of QCD. The HERA experiment recently provided precise data for rho electroproduction, including all spin density matrix elements. From QCD, it is expected that such a process should factorize between a hard (calculable) coefficient function, and hadronic (p and rho) matrix elements. Such a factorization is up to now only proven for a longitudinaly polarized rho. Within the kt-factorization approach (valid at large s_{gamma* p}), we evaluate the impact factor of the transition gamma* -> rhoT taking into account the twist 3 contributions. We show that a gauge invariant expression is obtained with the help of QCD equations of motion. More generally, relying on these equations and on the invariance under rotation on the light-cone of the factorized amplitude, the non-perturbative Distribution Amplitudes can be reduced to a minimal set. This opens the way to a consistent treatment of factorization for exclusive processes with a transversally polarized vector meson. We prove the equivalence of two proposed parametrizations of the rhoT distribution amplitudes., Comment: 5 pages, Proceedings of EPS conference, Krakow, 16-22 July 2009

We describe hard exclusive processes involving a transversally polarized rho meson in the twist 3 approximation, in a framework based on the Taylor expansion of the amplitude around the dominant light-cone direction., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, proceedings of the Cracow Epiphany Conference on Hadron Interactions at the Dawn of LHC Era. Dedicated to the memory of Jan Kwiecinski. 5-7 January 2009

We describe hard exclusive processes beyond the leading twist approximation in a framework based on the Taylor expansion of the amplitude around the dominant light-cone directions. This naturally introduces an appropriate set of non-perturbative correlators whose number is minimalized after taking into account QCD equations of motion and the invariance under rotation on the light-cone. We examplify this method at the twist 3 level and show that the coordinate and momentum space descriptions are fully equivalent., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, modified and slightly expanded version to be published in Phys.Lett. B

We consider threshold pion electroproduction on a proton target for photon virtualities in the region 1-10 GeV$^2$. The S-wave multipoles at threshold, $E_{0+}$ and $L_{0+}$, are calculated using light-cone sum rules., Comment: 3 pages, talkpresented at PANIC 2008

The contributions at the DIS2008 workshop in the working group on Diffraction and Vector Mesons are summarised., Comment: The summary of Diffraction and Vector Mesons working group at DIS2008, April 7-11, 2008 London, England. This version also contains a summary on the theory talks

We study in the BFKL approach the total hadronic cross section for the collision of two virtual photons for energies in the range of LEP2 and of future linear colliders. The BFKL resummation is done at the next-to-leading order in the BFKL Green's function; photon impact factors are taken instead at the leading order, but with the inclusion of the subleading terms required by invariance under changes of the renormalization scale and of the BFKL scale $s_0$. We compare our results with previous estimations based on a similar kind of approximation., Comment: Contribution to the proceedings of "Diffraction 2008", La Londe-les-Maures (France), 9-14 Sep. 2008; 4 pages, latex, aicproc format

We evaluate the impact factor of the transition gamma* -> rhoT taking into account the twist 3 contributions. We show that a gauge invariant expression is obtained with the help of QCD equations of motion. Our results are free of end-point singularities. This opens the way to a consistent treatment of factorization for exclusive processes with a transversally polarized vector meson., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure; To appear in the proceedings of Diffraction 2008: International Workshop on Diffraction in High-Energy Physics, La Londe-les-Maures, France, September 9-14, 2008

We consider the exclusive diffractive dissociation of a proton into three jets with large transverse momenta in the double-logarithmic approximation of perturbative QCD. This process is sensitive to the proton unintegrated gluon distribution at small x and to the proton light-cone distribution amplitudes. According to our estimates, an observation of such processes in the early runs at LHC is feasible for jet transverse momenta of the order of 5 GeV., Comment: Presented at International Workshop on Diffraction in High-Energy Physics, La Londe-les-Maures, France, September 9 - 14, 2008

We explore the possibility to observe hard exclusive three-jet production in early LHC runs, corresponding to diffractive dissociation of the incident proton into three jets with large but compensating transverse momenta. This process is sensitive to the proton unintegrated gluon distribution at small x and to the distribution of the three valence quarks in the proton at small transverse distances. The corresponding cross section is calculated using an approach based on k_t factorization. According to our estimates, observation of hard diffractive three-jet production at LHC is feasible for jet transverse momenta q_perp \sim 5 GeV., Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures

A number of hard exclusive scattering processes can be described in terms of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) and perturbative hard-scattering kernels. Both the physical amplitude and the hard-scattering kernels fulfill dispersion relations. We show that their consistency at all orders in perturbation theory is guaranteed if the GPDs satisfy certain integral relations. These relations are fulfilled thanks to Lorentz invariance., Comment: 5 pages, Talk presented at the 12th Workshop on High Energy Spin Physics (DSPIN-07), Dubna, Russia, September 3--7, 2007

We discuss exclusive vector meson electroproduction within the QCD collinear factorization framework. In Bjorken kinematics the amplitude factorizes in a convolution of the nonperturbative meson distribution amplitude and the generalized parton densities with the perturbatively calculable hard-scattering amplitudes, which are presently known to next-to-leading order (NLO). At small $x_{\rm B}$ NLO corrections are very large. It is related to appearance of BFKL type logarithms in the hard-scattering amplitudes, that calls for a resummation of these effects at higher orders. Here we report the first results of such resummation., Comment: 7 pages; Talk given at 12th International Conference on Elastic and Diffractive Scattering: Forward Physics and QCD, Hamburg, DESY, Germany, 21-25 May 2007

We consider pion electroproduction close to threshold for $Q^2$ in the region 1-10 GeV$^2$ on a nucleon target. The momentum transfer dependence of the S-wave multipoles at threshold, $E_{0+}$ and $L_{0+}$, is calculated in the chiral limit using light-cone sum rules. Predictions for the cross sections in the threshold region are given taking into account P-wave contributions that, as we argue, are model independent to a large extent. The results are compared with the SLAC E136 data on the structure function $F_2(W,Q^2)$ in the threshold region., Comment: 18 pages, 11 figures

We consider pion electroproduction on a proton target close to threshold for Q^2 in the region 1-10 GeV^2. The momentum transfer dependence of the S-wave multipoles at threshold, E_{0+} and L_{0+}, is calculated using light-cone sum rules., Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; Invited talk at the workshop on Exclusive Reactions at High Momentum Transfer, 21-24 May 2007, Newport News, Virginia, U.S.A. and International Conference on hadron Physics TROIA'07, 30 Aug. - 3 Sept. 2007, Canakkale, Turkey

Several hard exclusive scattering processes admit a description in terms of generalized parton distributions and perturbative hard-scattering kernels. Both the physical amplitude and the hard-scattering kernels fulfill dispersion relations. We give a detailed investigation of their consistency at all orders in perturbation theory. The results shed light on the information about generalized parton distributions that can be extracted from the real and imaginary parts of exclusive amplitudes. They also provide a practical consistency check for models of these distributions in which Lorentz invariance is not exactly satisfied., Comment: 24 pages

The amplitude for the forward electroproduction of two light vector mesons can be written completely within perturbative QCD in the Regge limit with next-to-leading accuracy, thus providing the first example of a physical application of the BFKL approach at the next-to-leading order. We study in the case of equal photon virtualities the main systematic effects, by considering a different representation of the amplitude and different optimization methods of the perturbative series., Comment: 4 pages; talk at 15th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and Related Subjects (DIS 2007), Munich, Germany, 16-20 Apr 2007

We investigate electroproduction of pion pairs on the nucleon in the framework of QCD factorization for hard exclusive processes. We extend previous analyses by taking the hard-scattering coefficients at next-to-leading order in $\alpha_s$. The dynamics of the produced pion pair is described by two-pion distribution amplitudes, for which we perform a detailed theoretical and phenomenological analysis. In particular, we obtain constraints on these quantities by comparing our results with measurements of angular observables that are sensitive to the interference between two-pion production in the isoscalar and isovector channels.

We consider the cross section of the deep inelastic pion electroproduction on a proton target at threshold for Q^2 in the region 5-10 GeV^2. The corresponding amplitudes are described in terms of two form factors which we calculate using light cone sum rules (LCSR) to leading order in QCD and including higher twist corrections. Our results suggest a considerable change from a small Q^2 region that can be treated in the soft pion limit using current algebra. In particular, we obtain a \pi^0 to \pi^+ producton ratio of order 1/3 and significant nucleon helicity-flip contributions., Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures

We study hard exclusive electroproduction of two pions in the QCD factorization approach at next-to-leading order (NLO) in the strong coupling. The pion pair can be produced both in an isovector and in an isoscalar state. The angular distribution of the produced pion pairs allows one to project out a component that depends on the interference of the isovector and isoscalar channels. Using specific models for the involved generalized parton distributions and two-pion distribution amplitudes we investigate the angular distributions of the pion pair in NLO and compare them with HERMES data. The differences between the LO and NLO results are moderate and the agreement with data is satisfactory, though not perfect. Expecting new results from COMPASS collaboration we perform the calculation also for the COMPASS kinematics., Comment: 7 pages, a talk at International Workshop on Diffraction in High-Energy Physics - DIFFRACTION 2006, Adamantas, Milos island, Greece, September 5-10, 2006

The forward electroproduction of two light vector mesons is the first example of a collision process between strongly interacting colorless particles for which the amplitude can be written completely within perturbative QCD in the Regge limit with next-to-leading accuracy. In a previous paper we have given a numerical determination of the amplitude in the case of equal photon virtualities by using a definite representation for the amplitude and a definite optimization method for the perturbative series. Here we estimate the systematic uncertainty of our previous determination, by considering a different representation of the amplitude and different optimization methods of the perturbative series. Moreover, we compare our result for the differential cross section at the minimum momentum transfer with a different approach, based on collinear kernel improvement., Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures; journal version, new figures and discussion added

We calculate the amplitude for the forward electroproduction of two light vector mesons in next-to-leading order BFKL. This amplitude represents the first next-to-leading order amplitude ever calculated for a collision process between strongly interacting colorless particles., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures; talk given by A. Papa at "New Trend in High Energy Physics", Yalta, Sept. 10-17, 2005

We calculate the amplitude for the forward electroproduction of two light vector mesons in next-to-leading order BFKL. This amplitude is written as a convolution of two impact factors for the virtual photon to light vector meson transition with the BFKL Green's function. It represents the first next-to-leading order amplitude ever calculated for a collision process between strongly interacting colorless particles., Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures

Exclusive electroproduction of hard dijets can be described within the collinear factorization. This process has clear experimental signature and provides one with an interesting alternative venue to test QCD description of hard diffractive processes and extract information on generalized nucleon parton distributions. In this work we present detailed leading-order QCD calculations of the relevant cross sections, including longitudinal momentum fraction distribution of the dijets and their azimuthal angle dependence., Comment: 11 pages, 14 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.sty

We consider emission of a photon by an electron in the field of a strong laser wave. A probability of this process for circularly or linearly polarized laser photons and for arbitrary polarization of all other particles is calculated. We obtain the complete set of functions which describe such a probability in a compact invariant form. Besides, we discuss in some detail the polarization effects in the kinematics relevant to the problem of electron to photon conversion at photon-photon and electron-photon colliders., Comment: 8 pages, Contribution to the proceedings of the XVIIIth International Workshop on High Energy Physics and Quantum Field Theory, Saint-Petersburg, June 17-23, 2004

Tunnel spectroscopy is used to probe the electronic structure in GaAs quantum well of resonant tunnel junction over wide range of energies and magnetic fields normal to layers. Spin degenerated high Landau levels ($N=2\div7$) are found to be drastically renormalised near energies when the longitudinal optical-phonon ($\hbar\omega_{LO}$) and cyclotron energy ($\hbar\omega_{C}$) are satisfied condition $\hbar\omega_{LO}=m\hbar\omega_{C}$, where $m=1,2,3$. This renormalisation is attributed to formation of resonant magnetopolarons, i.e. mixing of high index Landau levels by strong interaction of electrons at Landau level states with LO-phonons., Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps figures, revtex4

The processes of a light neutral vector meson, V=\rho^0, \omega, \phi, electroproduction and a heavy quarkonium, V=J/\Psi, \Upsilon, photoproduction are studied in the framework of QCD factorization. We derive a complete set of hard-scattering amplitudes which describe these processes at next-to-leading order (NLO)., Comment: 3 pages, prepared for Diffraction 2004, International Workshop on Diffraction in High-Energy Physics, Cala Gonone, Sardinia, Italy, September 18 - 23, 2004

We consider production of a e^+e^- pair by a high-energy photon in the field of a strong laser wave. A probability of this process for circularly or linearly polarized laser photons and for arbitrary polarization of all other particles is calculated. We obtain the complete set of functions which describe such a probability in a compact invariant form. Besides, we discuss in some detail the polarization effects in the kinematics relevant to the problem of electron-photon conversion at photon-photon and electron-photon colliders., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures

We compare results of our recent studies on vector meson production within the QCD factorization at next-to-leading order with HERA data., Comment: 6 pages LATEX, talk presented at DIS04, Strbske Pleso, Slovakia, April 2004

The process of a light neutral vector meson electroproduction is studied in the framework of QCD factorization in which the amplitude factorizes in a convolution of the nonperturbative meson distribution amplitude and the generalized parton densities with the perturbatively calculable hard-scattering amplitudes. We derive a complete set of hard-scattering amplitudes at next-to-leading order for the production of vector mesons, $V=\rho^0, \omega, \phi$., Comment: latex, 6 pages, with corrected Eq. (12) and added remark on dimensional regularisation

We evaluate in the next-to-leading approximation the forward impact factor for the virtual photon to light vector meson transition in the case of longitudinal polarization. We find that in the hard kinematic domain, both in the leading and in the next-to-leading approximation, the expression for the impact factor factorizes, up to power suppressed corrections, into the convolution of a perturbatively calculable hard-scattering amplitude and a meson twist-2 distribution amplitude., Comment: 31 pages latex; few comments and one reference added; version to appear in Eur. Phys. Journal C