A study on analytic parametrizations for proton–proton cross-sections and asymptotia
A comparative study on some representative parametrizations for the total and elastic cross-sections as a function of energy is presented. The dataset comprises pp and scattering in the c.m. energy interval 5 GeV–8 TeV. The parametrization for the total cross-section at low and intermediate energies follows the usual reggeonic structure (non-degenerate trajectories). For the leading high-energy pomeron contribution, we consider three distinct analytic parametrizations: either a power (P) law, or a log-squared (L2) law or a log-raised-to-γ (Lγ) law, where the exponent γ is treated as a real free fit parameter. The parametrizations are also extended to fit the elastic (integrated) cross-section data in the same energy interval. Our main conclusions are the following: (1) the data reductions with the logarithmic laws show strong dependence on the unknown energy scale involved, which is treated here either as a free parameter or fixed at the energy threshold; (2) the fit results with the P law, the L2 law (free scale) and the Lγ law (fixed scale and exponent γ above 2) are all consistent within their uncertainties and with the experimental data up to 7 TeV, but they partially underestimate the high-precision TOTEM measurement at 8 TeV; (3) once compared with these results, the L2 law with fixed scale is less consistent with the data and, in the case of a free scale, this pomeron contribution decreases as the energy increases below the scale factor (which lies above the energy cutoff); (4) in all cases investigated, the predictions for the asymptotic ratio between the elastic and total cross-sections, within the uncertainties, do not exceed the value 0.430 (therefore, below the black-disc limit) and the results favor rational limits between 1/3 and 2/5. We are led to conclude that the rise of the hadronic cross-sections at the highest energies still constitutes an open problem, demanding further and detailed investigation.

title: Reply to 'Commentary on 'Total Hadronic Cross Section Data and the Froissart-Martin Bound', by Fagundes, Menon and Silva'
abstract: A reply to the above mentioned commentary by M.M. Block and F. Halzen on our quoted work is presented. We answer to each point raised by these authors and argument that our data reductions, strategies and methodology are adequate to the nonlinear-fit-problem in focus. In order to exemplify some arguments, additional information from our subsequent analysis is referred to. A brief commentary on the recent results by Block and Halzen is also presented. We understand that this reply gives support to the results and conclusions presented in our quoted work.

title: Preliminary results on the empirical applicability of the Tsallis distribution in elastic hadron scattering
abstract: We show that the proton-proton elastic differential cross section data at dip position and beyond can be quite well described by a parametrization based on the Tsallis distribution, with only five free fit parameters. Extrapolation of the results obtained at 7 TeV to large momentum transfer, suggests that hadrons may not behave as a black-disk at the asymptotic energy region.

title: On the rise of proton-proton cross-sections at high energies
abstract: The rise of total, elastic and inelastic hadronic cross sections at high energies is investigated by means of an analytical parametrization, with the exponent of the leading logarithm contribution as a free fit parameter. Using derivative dispersion relations with one subtraction, two different fits to proton–proton and antiproton–proton total cross section and ρ parameter data are developed, reproducing well the experimental information in the energy region 5 GeV–7 TeV. The parametrization for the total cross sections is then extended to fit the elastic (integrated) cross section data in the same energy region, with satisfactory results. From these empirical results we extract the energy dependence of several physical quantities: inelastic cross section, ratios elastic/total, inelastic/total cross sections, ratio total-cross-section/elastic-slope, elastic slope and optical point. All data, fitted and predicted, are quite well described. We find a statistically consistent solution indicating: (1) an increase of the hadronic cross sections with the energy faster than the log-squared bound by Froissart and Martin; (2) asymptotic limits 1/3 and 2/3 for the ratios elastic/total and inelastic/total cross sections, respectively; a result in agreement with unitarity. These indications corroborate recent theoretical arguments by Azimov on the rise of the total cross section.

title: Total Hadronic Cross-Section Data and the Froissart–Martin Bound
abstract: The energy dependence of the total hadronic cross section at high energies is investigated with focus on the recent experimental result by the Total Elastic and Diffractive Cross-section Measurement Collaboration at 7 TeV and the Froissart–Martin bound. On the basis of a class of analytical parametrization with the exponent γ in the leading logarithm contribution as a free parameter, different variants of fits to pp and $\bar{\textrm{p}}$p total cross-section data above 5 GeV are developed. Two ensembles are considered, the first comprising data up to 1.8 TeV and the second also including the data collected at 7 TeV. We show that in all fit variants applied to the first ensemble, the exponent is statistically consistent with γ = 2. Applied to the second ensemble, however, the same variants yield γ values above 2, a result already obtained in two other analysis, by Amaldi et al. and by the UA4/2 Collaboration. As recently discussed by Azimov, this faster-than-squared-logarithm rise does not necessarily violate unitarity. Our results suggest that the energy dependence of the hadronic total cross section at high energies still constitutes an open problem.

title: An updated analysis on the rise of the hadronic total cross-section at the LHC energy region
abstract: pp elastic scattering above 5 GeV is presented. The dataset includes the recent high-precision TOTEM measurements of the pp total and elastic (integrated) cross-sections at 7 TeV and 8 TeV. Following previous works, the leading high-energy contribution for the total cross-section (�tot) is parametrized as ln(s/sh), where and sh are free real fit parameters. Singly-subtracted derivative dispersion relations are used to connecttot and the rho parameter (�) in an analytical way. Different fit procedures are considered, including individual fits totot data, global fits totot anddata, constrained and unconstrained data reductions. The results favor a rise of thetot faster than the log-squared bound by Froissart and Martin at the LHC energy region. The parametrization fortot is extended to fit the elastic cross-section (�el) data with satisfactory results. The analysis indicates an asymptotic ratioel/�tot consistent with 1/3 (as already obtained in a previous work). A critical discussion on the correlation, practical role and physical implications of the parameters and sh is presented. The discussion confronts the 2002 prediction oftot by the COMPETE Collaboration and the recent result by the Particle Data Group (2012 edition of the Review of Particle Physics). Some conjectures on possible implications of a fast rise of the proton-proton total cross-section at the highest energies are also presented.

title: Evidence of b-Jet Quenching in PbPb Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=2.76$ TeV

title: How the Inverse See-Saw Mechanism Can Reveal Itself Natural, Canonical and Independent of the Right-Handed Neutrino Mass
abstract: The common lore in the literature of neutrino mass generation is that the canonical see-saw mechanism beautifully offers an explanation for the tiny neutrino mass but at the cost of introducing right-handed neutrinos at a scale that is out of range for the current experiments. The inverse see-saw mechanism is an interesting alternative to the canonical one once it leads to tiny neutrino masses with the advantage of being testable at TeV scale. However, this last mechanism suffers from an issue of naturalness concerning the scale responsible for such small masses, namely, the parameter µ that is related to lepton number violation and is supposed to be at the keV scale, much lower than the electroweak one. However, no theoretical framework was built that offers an explanation for obtaining this specific scale. In this work we propose a variation of the inverse see-saw mechanism by assuming a minimal scalar and fermionic set of singlet fields, along with a Z5 Z2 symmetry, that allows a dynamical explanation for the smallness of µ, recovering the neat canonical see-saw formula and with right-handed (RH) neutrinos free to be at the electroweak scale, thus testable at LHC and current neutrino experiments. PACS: 14.60.St; 12.60.Fr.

title: The lattice Landau gauge gluon propagator at zero and finite temperature
abstract: We study the Landau gauge gluon propagator at zero and finite temperature using lattice simulations. Particular attention is given to the finite size effects and to the infrared behaviour.

title: Measurement of pion and proton response and longitudinal shower profiles up to 20 nuclear interaction lengths with the ATLAS Tile calorimeter
abstract: The response of pions and protons in the energy range of 20–180 GeV, produced at CERN's SPS H8 test-beam line in the ATLAS iron–scintillator Tile hadron calorimeter, has been measured. The test-beam configuration allowed the measurement of the longitudinal shower development for pions and protons up to 20 nuclear interaction lengths. It was found that pions penetrate deeper in the calorimeter than protons. However, protons induce showers that are wider laterally to the direction of the impinging particle. Including the measured total energy response, the pion-to-proton energy ratio and the resolution, all observations are consistent with a higher electromagnetic energy fraction in pion-induced showers. The data are compared with GEANT4 simulations using several hadronic physics lists. The measured longitudinal shower profiles are described by an analytical shower parametrization within an accuracy of 5–10%. The amount of energy leaking out behind the calorimeter is determined and parametrized as a function of the beam energy and the calorimeter depth. This allows for a leakage correction of test-beam results in the standard projective geometry.

title: Infrared gluon and ghost propagator exponents from lattice QCD
abstract: The compatibility of the pure power law infrared solution of QCD and lattice data for the gluon and ghost propagators in Landau gauge is discussed. For the gluon propagator, the lattice data are well described by a pure power law with an infrared exponent κ∼0.53, in the Dyson–Schwinger notation. κ is measured using a technique that suppresses finite volume effects. This value is consistent with a vanishing zero momentum gluon propagator, in agreement with the Gribov–Zwanziger confinement scenario. For the ghost propagator, the lattice data seem not to follow a pure power law, at least for the range of momenta accessed in our simulation.