pp Elastic Scattering at LHC in a Nucleon-Structure Model

TL;DR

This paper predicts proton-proton elastic scattering cross sections at 14 TeV LHC energies using a nucleon-structure model with multiple components, emphasizing valence quark interactions and unitarity corrections, and compares with other models.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed nucleon-structure model for pp elastic scattering at LHC energies, incorporating multiple hard-pomeron exchanges and unitarity corrections.

Findings

Predicted differential cross sections at 14 TeV for |t|=0-10 GeV^2.

Identified valence quark-quark scattering as dominant at large |t|.

Compared predictions with other models to aid experimental discrimination.

Abstract

We predict pp elastic differential cross sections at LHC at c.m. energy 14 TeV and momentum transfer range |t| = 0 - 10 GeV*2 in a nucleon-structure model. In this model, the nucleon has an outer cloud of quark-antiquark condensed ground state, an inner shell of topological baryonic charge (r ~ 0.44F) probed by the vector meson omega, and a central quark-bag (r ~ 0.2F) containing valence quarks. We also predict elastic differential cross section in the Coulomb-hadronic interference region. Large |t| elastic scattering in this model arises from valence quark-quark scattering, which is taken to be due to the hard-pomeron (BFKL pomeron with next to leading order corrections). We present results of taking into account multiple hard-pomeron exchanges, i.e. unitarity corrections. Finally, we compare our prediction of pp elastic differential cross section at LHC with the predictions of various other models. Precise measurement of pp elastic differential cross section at LHC by the TOTEM group in the |t| region 0 - 5 GeV*2 will be able to distinguish between these models.