Total π + p cross section extracted from the leading neutron spectra at the LHC

Khoze, V. A.; Martin, A. D.; Ryskin, M. G.

Abstract

We use the very forward neutron energy spectra measured by the LHC forward experiment at 7 TeV to extract the πþp total cross section at center-of-mass energies in the range 2.3–3.5 TeV. To do this, we have to first isolate the π-exchange pole in forward neutron production in pp collisions, by evaluating other possible contributions, namely, those from ρ and a2 exchange, from both eikonal and enhanced screening effects, from migration, from neutron production by Δ-isobar decay and from diffractive nucleon excitations. We discuss the possible theoretical uncertainties due to the fact that the data do not exactly reach the π pole. We choose the kinematical domain where the pion contribution dominates and demonstrate the role of the different corrections which could affect the final result.

Citation

Khoze, V., Martin, A., & Ryskin, M. (2017). Total π + p cross section extracted from the leading neutron spectra at the LHC. Physical Review D, 96(3), Article 034018. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.96.034018

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 17, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Aug 22, 2017
• Publication Date: Aug 22, 2017
• Deposit Date: Oct 10, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 10, 2017
• Journal: Physical Review D
• Print ISSN: 2470-0010
• Electronic ISSN: 2470-0029
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 96
• Issue: 3
• Article Number: 034018
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.96.034018