Shadowing in Inelastic Nucleon-Nucleon Cross Section?

Area of Science:

• High Energy Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Particle Physics

Background:

• Heavy-ion collision experiments often normalize cross sections using Glauber models.
• The inelastic nucleon-nucleon cross section (σnninel) is a key input, typically derived from proton-proton collisions.
• This standard approach may not accurately reflect conditions in heavy-ion environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the inelastic nucleon-nucleon cross section (σnninel) in lead-lead collisions using recent ATLAS data.
• To assess the impact of this determined σnninel on the centrality dependence of hard-process cross sections.
• To investigate the underlying physics using an eikonal minijet model incorporating nuclear shadowing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized electroweak boson production cross sections from recent ATLAS data in lead-lead collisions as a benchmark.
• Calculated the inelastic nucleon-nucleon cross section (σnninel) by comparing experimental results with theoretical predictions.
• Employed an eikonal minijet model, including nuclear shadowing effects, to interpret the findings.

Main Results:

• Determined a significantly suppressed inelastic nucleon-nucleon cross section (σnninel) in lead-lead collisions compared to proton-proton measurements.
• Observed substantial modifications in the centrality dependence of hard-process cross sections due to the suppressed σnninel.
• The eikonal minijet model with nuclear shadowing provides a framework to understand this suppression.

Conclusions:

• The inelastic nucleon-nucleon cross section (σnninel) in heavy-ion collisions is notably different from values obtained in proton-proton collisions.
• Accurate determination of σnninel is crucial for precise interpretation of heavy-ion collision experimental results.
• Nuclear effects like shadowing play a significant role in modifying fundamental cross sections in dense nuclear matter.