Interpretation of an "edge" in proton-proton scattering

TL;DR

This paper analyzes high-energy proton-proton collisions, revealing a 'black disk' with a growing radius and a constant-width edge, interpreted as the maximum length of a QCD string connecting proton constituents.

Contribution

It proposes a novel interpretation of the proton collision edge as the maximum QCD string length, supported by experimental observations.

Findings

Proton collision 'black disk' radius grows logarithmically with energy

Edge width remains approximately constant at 1 fm

QCD string length limits are consistent with observed edge behavior

Abstract

A study of proton-proton collisions at very high energy has revealed a "black disk," whose radius grows with the logarithm of the center-of-mass energy, surrounded by an edge of approximately constant width 1 fm. We interpret this behavior as the maximum length of a QCD string connecting the color triplet and antitriplet components of the proton, and propose further tests of this explanation.