Forward physics : from SPS to LHC, what can we learn from air showers ?

TL;DR

This paper explores how air shower measurements can inform our understanding of forward physics and particle interactions from SPS to LHC energies, emphasizing the role of the EPOS model in constraining high-energy interaction models.

Contribution

It demonstrates how air shower data, particularly from KASCADE, can constrain particle production models across a wide energy range using the EPOS framework.

Findings

Air shower measurements provide valuable constraints on high-energy particle interactions.

The EPOS model can be tuned to reproduce both accelerator and air shower data.

Understanding forward physics is crucial for interpreting LHC results and cosmic ray interactions.

Abstract

Since recent RHIC data and the development of new theories for small x physics, a new interest appeared for forward physics. At LHC, a correct description of multiple parton interactions will be crucial to understand all the results. On the other hand, forward particle production and multiple interactions are the key points of air shower development. That's why air shower measurements done by precise experiments like KASCADE can help to understand high energy interactions, using hadronic models which are able to reproduce both accelerator and air shower data. In the framework of the EPOS model, we will show what constraints can be fixed by air shower experiment on particle production from SPS to LHC energies.