Critical behavior of cross sections at LHC

TL;DR

Recent LHC data indicates protons are approaching a critical regime in elastic scattering, potentially altering interaction characteristics, with new physics involving hollowed toroid-like hadrons and unitarity considerations.

Contribution

This paper analyzes the approach to criticality in proton elastic scattering at LHC energies and explores new physics scenarios involving hollowed toroid-like hadrons.

Findings

Elastic to total cross section ratio increases at LHC energies

Proposed unitarity-based models for hollowed toroid-like hadrons

Speculative scenarios for future proton interaction behavior

Abstract

Recent experimental data on elastic scattering of high energy protons show that the critical regime has been reached at LHC energies. The approach to criticality is demonstrated by increase of the ratio of elastic to total cross sections from ISR to LHC energies. At LHC it reaches the value which can result in principal change of the character of proton interactions. The treatment of new physics of hollowed toroid-like hadrons requires usage of another branch of the unitarity condition. Its further fate is speculated and interpreted with the help of the unitarity condition in combination with present experimental data. The gedanken experiments to distinguish between different possibilities are proposed.