Reducing model uncertainties using proton-oxygen collisions with proton/neutron tagging at the LHC

TL;DR

This paper discusses how proton-oxygen collisions at the LHC, combined with proton/neutron tagging, can improve the understanding of cosmic-ray interactions and reduce uncertainties in proton-Air cross-section measurements.

Contribution

It introduces the potential of proton/neutron tagging at the LHC to enhance measurements of elastic and diffractive interactions in pO collisions, beyond current research.

Findings

Proton/neutron tagging can improve elastic and diffractive interaction measurements.

The approach can reduce uncertainties in cosmic-ray interaction models.

Prospects for measuring oxygen ion decay products are discussed.

Abstract

A short run of proton-oxygen and oxygen-oxygen collisions is planned to take place at the Large Hadron Collider during LHC Run 3. The primary goal of this run is to improve the modeling of Cosmic-Ray interactions and to reduce the uncertainties associated with proton-Air cross-sections. While the inelastic cross-section will be measured directly, an array of very forward proton and neutron detectors introduced by the ATLAS and CMS experiments can allow going beyond the current physics research proposal, providing a unique opportunity to study elastic and diffractive interactions in pO collisions at the center of mass energies above TeV. This article presents the possible impact of proton and neutron tagging on the measurement of the elastic and diffractive components, as well as discusses the prospects of measuring the decay products of oxygen ions.