# Elastic proton-proton scattering at LHC energies in holographic QCD

## TL;DR

This paper models high-energy proton-proton scattering at LHC energies using holographic QCD, successfully fitting experimental data with a Pomeron exchange framework that captures nonperturbative dynamics.

## Contribution

It introduces a holographic QCD model with adjustable parameters to describe proton-proton scattering, aligning theoretical predictions with recent LHC measurements.

## Key findings

- Differential and total cross sections match experimental data
- Model accurately describes scattering at 13 TeV
- Framework applicable to other high energy processes

## Abstract

The cross sections of the high energy proton-proton scattering are studied in a holographic QCD model, focusing on the Regge regime. In our model setup, the involved nonperturbative partonic dynamics is described by the Pomeron exchange, which is realized by applying the Reggeized spin-2 particle propagator together with the proton gravitational form factor obtained from the bottom-up AdS/QCD model. Our model includes three adjustable parameters which are to be fitted by experimental data. We show that both the resulting differential and total cross sections are consistent with data, including the ones recently measured at $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV by the TOTEM collaboration at the LHC. Our results imply that the present framework works well in the considered TeV scale, and further applications to other high energy scattering processes, in which the involved strong interaction can be approximated by the Pomeron exchange, are possible.