Ultraperipheral vs ordinary nuclear interactions

TL;DR

This paper compares ultraperipheral and ordinary nuclear interactions, showing that at high energies, their cross sections can be similar, and discusses the theoretical approaches and energy thresholds relevant for NICA/FAIR experiments.

Contribution

It provides estimates of energy thresholds where ultraperipheral interactions become comparable to hadronic interactions and compares different theoretical methods.

Findings

Ultraperipheral cross sections can match hadronic ones at high energies.

Preasymptotic energy thresholds are estimated.

The paper discusses the applicability of theoretical approaches at NICA/FAIR energies.

Abstract

It is argued that the cross sections of ultraperipheral interactions of heavy nuclei can become comparable in value to those of their ordinary hadronic interactions at high energies. Simple estimates of corresponding "preasymptotic energy thresholds" are provided.The~method of equivalent photons is compared with the perturbative approach. The~situation at NICA/FAIR energies is discussed.