  We analyze the structure of running coupling corrections to the gluon
production cross section in the projectile-nucleus collisions calculated in the
Color Glass Condensate (CGC) framework. We argue that for the gluon production
cross section (and for gluon transverse momentum spectra and multiplicity) the
inclusion of running coupling corrections brings in collinear singularities due
to final state splittings completely unaffected by CGC resummations. Hence,
despite the saturation/CGC dynamics, the gluon production cross section is not
infrared-safe. As usual, regularizing the singularities requires an infrared
cutoff Lambda_coll that defines a resolution scale for gluons. We specifically
show that the cutoff enters the gluon production cross section in the argument
of the strong coupling constant alpha_s(Lambda_coll^2). We argue that for
hadron production calculations one should be able to absorb the collinear
divergence into a fragmentation function. The singular collinear terms in the
gluon production cross section are shown not to contribute to the energy
density of the produced matter, which is indeed an infrared-finite quantity.

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology