# Measurement of the inelastic cross section in proton–lead collisions at √sNN=5.02 TeV

CMS Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

## Abstract

The inelastic hadronic cross section in proton–lead collisions at a centre-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of 5.02 TeV is measured with the CMS detector at the LHC. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of L=12.6±0.4 nb−1, has been collected with an unbiased trigger for inclusive particle production. The cross section is obtained from the measured number of proton–lead collisions with hadronic activity produced in the pseudorapidity ranges 3<η<5 and/or −5<η<−3, corrected for photon-induced contributions, experimental acceptance, and other instrumental effects. The inelastic cross section is measured to be σinel(pPb)=2061±3(stat)±34(syst)±72(lumi) mb. Various Monte Carlo generators, commonly used in heavy ion and cosmic ray physics, are found to reproduce the data within uncertainties. The value of σinel(pPb) is compatible with that expected from the proton–proton cross section at 5.02 TeV scaled up within a simple Glauber approach to account for multiple scatterings in the lead nucleus, indicating that further net nuclear corrections are small.

Original language English 641-662 22 Physics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics 759 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2016.06.027 Published - 2016 Aug 10 Yes

## Keywords

• CMS
• Cross section
• Forward physics