We present a nonperturbative QCD calculation of diffractive vector meson production in virtual photon nucleon scattering at high energy. We use the nonperturbative model of the stochastic QCD vacuum which yields linear confinement and makes specific predictions for the dependence of high-energy scattering cross sections on the hadron size. Using light cone wave functions of the photon and vector mesons, we calculate electroproduction cross sections for $\rho$, $\omega$, $\phi$, and $J/\psi$. We emphasize the behavior of specific observables such as the ratio of longitudinal to transverse production cross section and the $t$ dependence of the differential cross section.

• Received 25 July 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.55.2602