In a special run of the LHC with $\beta^\star = 2.5~$km, proton-proton elastic-scattering events were recorded at $\sqrt{s} = 13~$TeV with an integrated luminosity of $340~\mu \textrm{b}^{-1}$ using the ALFA subdetector of ATLAS in 2016. The elastic cross section was measured differentially in the Mandelstam $t$ variable in the range from $-t = 2.5 \cdot 10^{-4}~$GeV$^{2}$ to $-t = 0.46~$GeV$^{2}$ using 6.9 million elastic-scattering candidates. This paper presents measurements of the total cross section $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$, parameters of the nuclear slope, and the $\rho$-parameter defined as the ratio of the real part to the imaginary part of the elastic-scattering amplitude in the limit $t \rightarrow 0$. These parameters are determined from a fit to the differential elastic cross section using the optical theorem and different parameterizations of the $t$-dependence. The results for $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$ and $\rho$ are \begin{equation*} \sigma_{\textrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = \mbox{104.7} \pm 1.1 \; \mbox{mb} , \; \; \; \rho = \mbox{0.098} \pm 0.011 . \end{equation*} The uncertainty in $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$ is dominated by the luminosity measurement, and in $\rho$ by imperfect knowledge of the detector alignment and by modelling of the nuclear amplitude.

The differential cross-section for elastic charge-exchange scattering of neutrons on protons has been measured at 8 GeV/c over forward laboratory scattering angles (0÷90) mrad (square of four-momentum transfer 0<−t<0.5 (GeV/c)2). The method utilized acoustic spark chambers and about 1900 elastic-scattering events were analysed. A value of (dσ/dΩ)lab=(20±6) mb/sr (dσ/dt=(0.93±0.28) mb/(GeV/c)2) was obtained for the forward differential cross-section and an estimated (0.06±0.03) mb for the elastic charge exchange cross-section. Both cross-sections show the decreased values expected from Pomeranchuk’s second theorem (1) when compared with results at lower energies (2). Further comparison shows that the narrow forward peak in the distribution of dσ/dt previously observed for −t<0.05, is still present at 8 GeV/c, varying in shape only slowly, if at all, with energy. For −t>0.1 however, energy dependence is apparent. The results also suggest that the interaction is spin-dependent and/or that the real parts of the scattering amplitudes in the isospin states 0 and 1 are different. Comparisons with the theoretical predictions show good agreement with the value of forward cross-section given by the Regge pole approach ofAhmadzadeh (3). The model ofRingland andPhillips (4) for single-pion exchange with absorption agrees with our results for −t<0.01 but a predicted secondary peak at −t∼0.08 is not observed.

Pseudorapidity gap distributions in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV are studied using a minimum bias data sample with an integrated luminosity of 7.1 inverse microbarns. Cross sections are measured differentially in terms of Delta eta F, the larger of the pseudorapidity regions extending to the limits of the ATLAS sensitivity, at eta = +/- 4.9, in which no final state particles are produced above a transverse momentum threshold p_T Cut. The measurements span the region 0 < Delta eta F < 8 for 200 < p_T Cut < 800 MeV. At small Delta eta F, the data test the reliability of hadronisation models in describing rapidity and transverse momentum fluctuations in final state particle production. The measurements at larger gap sizes are dominated by contributions from the single diffractive dissociation process (pp -> Xp), enhanced by double dissociation (pp -> XY) where the invariant mass of the lighter of the two dissociation systems satisfies M_Y <~ 7 GeV. The resulting cross section is d sigma / d Delta eta F ~ 1 mb for Delta eta F >~ 3. The large rapidity gap data are used to constrain the value of the pomeron intercept appropriate to triple Regge models of soft diffraction. The cross section integrated over all gap sizes is compared with other LHC inelastic cross section measurements.

A measurement of the total $pp$ cross section at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV is presented. An integrated luminosity of $500$ $\mu$b$^{-1}$ was accumulated in a special run with high-$\beta^{\star}$ beam optics to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable $t$. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the $-t$ range from $0.014$ GeV$^2$ to $0.1$ GeV$^2$ to extrapolate $t\rightarrow 0$, the total cross section, $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X)$, is measured via the optical theorem to be: $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = {96.07} \; \pm 0.18 \; ({{stat.}}) \pm 0.85 \; ({{exp.}}) \pm 0.31 \; ({extr.}) \; {mb} \;,$ where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation $t\rightarrow 0$. In addition, the slope of the exponential function describing the elastic cross section at small $t$ is determined to be $B = 19.74 \pm 0.05 \; ({{stat.}}) \pm 0.23 \; ({{syst.}}) \; {GeV}^{-2}$.

A measurement of the total $pp$ cross section at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV is presented. In a special run with high-$\beta^{\star}$ beam optics, an integrated luminosity of 80 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ was accumulated in order to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable $t$. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the $|t|$ range from 0.01 GeV$^2$ to 0.1 GeV$^2$ to extrapolate to $|t|\rightarrow 0$, the total cross section, $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X)$, is measured via the optical theorem to be: $$\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = 95.35 \; \pm 0.38 \; ({\mbox{stat.}}) \pm 1.25 \; ({\mbox{exp.}}) \pm 0.37 \; (\mbox{extr.}) \; \mbox{mb},$$ where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation to $|t|\rightarrow 0$. In addition, the slope of the elastic cross section at small $|t|$ is determined to be $B = 19.73 \pm 0.14 \; ({\mbox{stat.}}) \pm 0.26 \; ({\mbox{syst.}}) \; \mbox{GeV}^{-2}$.

Proton-proton elastic scattering has been measured in the region 4.9<|t|<12.1 GeV2 at a beam momentum of 201 GeV/c. If the form exp(At) is fitted to the data, the exponent A gradually changes from 1.5 to 0.9 GeV−2 over our t range. The data are consistent with the form exp(−6.6p⊥). A comparison with intersecting storage ring results shows that in this kinematical region the slopes are about the same, but dσdt at fixed t is still dropping with energy.

Proton-proton elastic scattering using 201- and 400-GeV/c extracted beams at Fermilab has been measured in the region 4.9<−t<14.4 GeV2. Contrary to predictions of diffraction models, there is no sign of a second dip or "break," and the slope A in the fit exp(At) is smaller than predicted. It drops from 1.5 to 0.8 GeV−2 over our t range. The shape of the t distribution can be fitted by the power law dσdt∝t−8.4 which is close to a quantum-chromodynamics (QCD) prediction of t−8. At fixed t the 201-GeV/c cross sections are about 2.3 times those at 400 GeV/c which is compatible with the QCD and constituent-interchange-model prediction that dσdt∝s−10 at fixed ts.

Proton-proton elastic scattering at 400 GeV/c has been measured in the region 5.4<−t<14.4 GeV2 with no sign of a second dip or "break." If the data are fitted by exp(At), the slope A decreases from 1.5±0.1 to 0.7±0.2 GeV−2 over the range. At fixed t the 400-GeV/c cross sections are about 0.6 times those at 200 GeV/c in this t range. At fixed θc.m.=15°, dσdt∝s−n where n=9.7±0.3.

Elastic π±−p, K−−p, and p¯−p scattering cross sections have been measured using three different experimental arrangements covering the c.m. angular regions ∼20°-120°, ∼135°-169°, and ∼165°-180° at incident momenta from 6 to 17 GeV/c. In the region 130°-180°, only π±−p scattering was measured. In the angular region near 180°, the energy dependences and shapes of the π−p backward peaks were determined up to crossed-momentum transfers of u∼−2 (GeV/c)2. At all energies, the π+−p backward peak had a sharp dip at u=−0.13 (GeV/c)2, with no similar effect in the π−−p case. Nearly complete angular distributions of π−−p elastic scattering from 20° to 180° have been obtained at 6 and 10 GeV/c. These results at 6 and 10 GeV/c as well as at 8 GeV/c reveal a sharp dip in π−−p scattering at t=−3 (GeV/c)2. Several structures in the form of dips or shoulders were seen in the p¯−p angular distributions also, with less pronounced structure observed in K−−p scattering. At fixed momentum transfer, all cross sections when expressed as dσdt appear to be decreasing with increasing energy.

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