Diffraction slopes for elastic proton-proton and proton-antiproton scattering

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the energy dependence of diffraction slopes in elastic proton-proton and proton-antiproton scattering using experimental data, providing approximations and predictions for high-energy collider experiments.

Contribution

It introduces various analytic approximations for the energy dependence of diffraction slopes, extending the standard logarithmic model to describe experimental data across a wide energy range.

Findings

Standard logarithmic approximation describes data well.

Different models diverge at very high energies.

Predictions made for RHIC, LHC, and FAIR energies.

Abstract

The diffraction slope parameter is investigated for elastic proton-proton and proton-antiproton scattering based on the all available experimental data at low momentum transfer values. Energy dependence of the elastic diffraction slopes is approximated by various analytic functions. The expanded "standard" logarithmic approximations allow to describe experimental slopes in all available energy range reasonably. Various approximations differ from each other both in the low energy and very high energy domains. Predictions for diffraction slope parameter are obtained for elastic proton-proton scattering at RHIC and LHC energies, for proton-antiproton elastic reaction in FAIR energy domain for various approximation functions.