# Forward proton detectors in heavy ion physics

## TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of existing forward proton detectors at the LHC to measure nuclear debris in heavy ion collisions, including their acceptance and impact parameter reconstruction capabilities.

## Contribution

It demonstrates the feasibility of using forward proton detectors for nuclear debris detection and analyzes how various factors influence their acceptance in heavy ion physics.

## Key findings

- Detectors can measure nuclear debris from spectator nucleons.
- Acceptance depends on nuclear motion and experimental setup.
- Impact parameter can be reconstructed from nuclear fragment measurements.

## Abstract

The forward proton detectors, already existing at the LHC, are considered in the context of heavy ion collisions. It is shown that such detectors have the potential to measure nuclear debris originating from spectator nucleons. The geometric acceptance for different nuclei is studied, and how it is affected by the motion of the nucleons in the nucleus and by the experimental conditions. A possibility of reconstructing the impact parameter of the collision from the measurement of the nuclear fragments is discussed.