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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 123: Hauptvorträge 7

T 123.2: Invited Talk

Friday, March 28, 2014, 11:45–12:30, RW 1

The importance of LHC data for the interpretation of ultra-high energy cosmic ray interactions — •Ralf Ulrich — Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe

The Earth is exposed to a flux of cosmic ray particles that is reaching up to the highest energies per particle ever observed. These ultra-high energy cosmic rays are detected only via their interactions with the atmosphere. Thus, to understand the nature of those particles, it is necessary to make optimal use also of accelerator experiments to study very high energy interactions in controlled lab environments. This is complementary to the main program of high-energy physics at accelerators, since for cosmic rays it is the high cross-section processes and the particle production in the forward phase space that are of highest priority. Such measurements require only small integrated luminosities. The impact of existing LHC measurements up to √s=7TeV on the analysis of cosmic-ray data is presented, and the importance of dedicated forward detectors is outlined. Also the advantage of a potential light ion at LHC is discussed, and finally an outlook on the impact of a possible fixed target experiment with LHC beam is given. To fully exploit accelerator measurements is crucial to bring us a big step closer towards understanding the fundamental nature of cosmic rays at ultra-high energies.