Physics perspectives with AFTER@LHC (A Fixed Target ExpeRiment at LHC)

TL;DR

AFTER@LHC is a proposed fixed-target experiment utilizing LHC beams to explore high-energy proton, neutron, and heavy-ion physics, aiming to answer open questions in QCD, spin physics, and quark-gluon plasma at unprecedented energies.

Contribution

This paper introduces the AFTER@LHC fixed-target project and discusses its potential to reach new energy domains and provide novel insights into QCD and nuclear matter.

Findings

Projected luminosities for one year of data taking.

Projections for light-flavour production.

Projections for heavy-flavour production.

Abstract

AFTER@LHC is an ambitious fixed-target project in order to address open questions in the domain of proton and neutron spins, Quark Gluon Plasma and high-$x$ physics, at the highest energy ever reached in the fixed-target mode. Indeed, thanks to the highly energetic 7 TeV proton and 2.76 A.TeV lead LHC beams, center-of-mass energies as large as $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 115 GeV in pp/pA and $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$ = 72 GeV in AA can be reached, corresponding to an uncharted energy domain between SPS and RHIC. We report two main ways of performing fixed-target collisions at the LHC, both allowing for the usage of one of the existing LHC experiments. In these proceedings, after discussing the projected luminosities considered for one year of data taking at the LHC, we will present a selection of projections for light and heavy-flavour production.