On the total cross section extrapolations to cosmic-ray energies

TL;DR

This paper examines proton-proton total cross section data from accelerators to cosmic-ray energies, revealing two possible high-energy scenarios and cautioning against premature conclusions for cosmic-ray estimations.

Contribution

It compares two different high-energy extrapolation scenarios for total cross sections, highlighting the importance of model choice in cosmic-ray data interpretation.

Findings

Two distinct high-energy extrapolation scenarios identified.

One scenario aligns with most models, the other with a multiple diffraction model.

Warning against hasty constraints on cosmic-ray estimations from accelerator data.

Abstract

We analyze $pp$ total cross section data from accelerator to cosmic-ray energies and show that the experimental information presently available indicate two different scenarios at the highest energies. One of them accommodates the predictions of the majority of models and the other one shows agreement with a multiple diffraction model recently developed and improved. We argue that these results may bring a kind of warning against some possible precipitated attempts to constraint cosmic-ray estimations from analyzes of accelerator data.