The Possibility of New Physics in pp Elastic Scattering at LHC

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for discovering new physics through oscillations in differential cross sections of proton-proton elastic scattering at LHC energies, highlighting the importance of high |t| measurements.

Contribution

It analyzes the predictions of oscillations in differential cross sections at high momentum transfer and discusses the experimental challenges and implications for future measurements.

Findings

Oscillations may appear at high |t| in pp scattering.

Current data at 7 TeV do not confirm oscillations.

High |t| measurements could reveal new physics phenomena.

Abstract

Modern models of high energy elastic hadron-hadron scattering predict an oscillation character of differential cross sections at the LHC energy of 14 TeV and at a sufficiently high momentum transfer. The Totem collaboration did not see the oscillations at 7 TeV. According to some predictions, the oscillations are weak at 7 TeV in the studied 4-momentum transfer range (|t|< 2.5 GeV$^2$). They may be beyond the range of the experiment. But a direct extension of the Totem collaboration data on the pp-scattering at 7 TeV above |t|\sim 2.5 GeV$^2$ contradicts previous measurements. Thus the collaboration can discover either the oscillations at large |t| or a change of the differential cross section behavior in the high |t| region (|t|> 2.5 GeV$^2$).