Recent studies of the interaction of vector mesons with nuclei make possible and opportune the study of the interaction of the $J/\psi$ with nuclei and the investigation of the origin of the $J/\psi$ suppression in its propagation thorough a nuclear medium. We observe that the transition of $J/\psi N$ to $VN$ with $V$ being a light vector, $\rho ,\omega ,\phi$, together with the inelastic channels, $J/\psi N\to \overline{D}{\Lambda }_c$ and $J/\psi N\to \overline{D}{\Sigma }_c$, leads to a particular shape of the inelastic cross section. Analogously, we consider the mechanisms where the exchanged $D$ collides with a nucleon and gives $\pi {\Lambda }_c$ or $\pi {\Sigma }_c$. The cross section has a peak around $\sqrt{s}=4415$ MeV, where the $J/\psi N$ couples to a resonance predicted recently. We study the transparency ratio for electron-induced $J/\psi$ production in nuclei at about 10 GeV and find that 30–35$\%$ of the $J/\psi$ produced in heavy nuclei are absorbed inside the nucleus. This ratio is in line with depletions of $J/\psi$ through matter observed in other reactions.

• Received 13 March 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.86.014604