Predicting Proton-Air Cross Sections at sqrt s ~30 TeV, using Accelerator and Cosmic Ray Data

TL;DR

This paper predicts proton-air cross sections at ~30 TeV using a QCD-inspired model fitted to accelerator data and Glauber theory, providing insights into high-energy cosmic ray interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel combination of a QCD-inspired parameterization with Glauber theory to predict proton-air cross sections at ultra-high energies.

Findings

Predicted proton-air cross sections at 30 TeV energy scale.

Constraint on inclusive particle production cross section from cosmic ray data.

Validation of the black disk model for protons at high energies.

Abstract

We use the high energy predictions of a QCD-inspired parameterization of all accelerator data on forward proton-proton and antiproton-proton scattering amplitudes, along with Glauber theory, to predict proton-air cross sections at energies near \sqrt s \approx 30 TeV. The parameterization of the proton-proton cross section incorporates analyticity and unitarity, and demands that the asymptotic proton is a black disk of soft partons. By comparing with the p-air cosmic ray measurements, our analysis results in a constraint on the inclusive particle production cross section.