Looking forward to forward physics at the CERN's LHC

TL;DR

This paper discusses the potential of forward physics experiments at the LHC, highlighting their ability to explore new physics phenomena like dark matter and neutrinos, which have been largely overlooked in traditional high-$p_T$ searches.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the physics motivations and future prospects for forward physics experiments such as FASER, FASER$ u$, and the FPF at the LHC.

Findings

Forward collisions produce high-energy neutrinos and potential new particles.

Forward physics experiments can explore beyond Standard Model physics.

Upcoming experiments will significantly extend LHC's physics reach.

Abstract

For decades, new physics searches in collider experiments have focused on the high-$p_T$ region. However, it has recently become evident that the LHC physics potential has not been fully exploited. To be specific, forward collisions, which produce particles along the beamline with enormous rates, have been almost completely ignored. For all practical purposes, these collisions are a treasure trove of physics, containing the highest-energy neutrinos ever produced by humans, as well as possible evidence for dark matter, light and weakly-coupled particles, and new forces. In the upcoming LHC Run 3 the ForwArd Search ExpeRiment (FASER) and its cousin FASER$\nu$ will extend the LHC's physics potential. A continuation of this forward physics program for the HL-LHC aims at the Forward Physics Facility (FPF), with larger scale experiments. In this report, I give an overview of the physics motivations for FASER, FASER$\nu$, and the FPF experiments, including both Standard Model and beyond Standard Model physics.