Forward physics with the LHCb experiment

TL;DR

The LHCb experiment provides unique insights into forward particle production at the LHC, enhancing understanding of QCD dynamics, parton densities, and exclusive processes through analyses of proton-proton collision data.

Contribution

This paper summarizes LHCb's novel measurements in the forward region, offering new data on low-x QCD, parton densities, and exclusive processes at 7 TeV.

Findings

Improved understanding of parton density functions.

Insights into low Bjorken-x QCD dynamics.

Data on exclusive processes at LHC energies.

Abstract

Due to its unique pseudorapidity coverage and the ability to perform measurements at low transverse momenta, the LHCb detector allows a unique insight into particle production in the forward region at the LHC. Using large samples of proton-proton collision data accumulated at sqrt(s)=7 TeV, the LHCb collaboration has performed a series of dedicated analyses providing important input to the knowledge of the parton density functions, underlying event activity, low Bjorken-x QCD dynamics and exclusive processes. Some of these are briefly summarised here.