Forward particle productions at RHIC and the LHC from CGC within local rcBK evolution

In order to describe forward hadron productions in high-energy nuclear collisions, we propose a Monte-Carlo implementation of Dumitru-Hayashigaki-Jalilian-Marian formula with the unintegrated gluon distribution obtained numerically from the running-coupling BK equation. We discuss influence of initial conditions for the BK equation by comparing a model constrained by global fit of small-x HERA data and a newly proposed one from the running coupling MV model.Comment: Talk given at conference Quark Matter 2011, 4 page

The LHCf detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider

LHCf is an experiment dedicated to the measurement of neutral particles emitted in the very forward region of LHC collisions. The physics goal is to provide data for calibrating the hadron interaction models that are used in the study of Extremely High-Energy Cosmic-Rays. This is possible since the laboratory equivalent collision energy of LHC is 10(17) eV. Two LHCf detectors, consisting of imaging calorimeters made of tungsten plates, plastic scintillator and position sensitive sensors, are installed at zero degree collision angle +/- 140m from an interaction point (IP). Although the lateral dimensions of these calorimeters are very compact, ranging from 20 mm x 20 mm to 40 mm x 40 mm, the energy resolution is expected to be better than 6% and the position resolution better than 0.2 mm for gamma-rays with energy from 100 GeV to 7 TeV. This has been confirmed by test beam results at the CERN SPS. These calorimeters can measure particles emitted in the pseudo rapidity range eta > 8.4. Detectors, data acquisition and electronics are optimized to operate during the early phase of the LHC commissioning with luminosity below 10(30) cm(-2)S(-1). LHCf is expected to obtain data to compare with the major hadron interaction models within a week or so of operation at luminosity similar to 10(29) cm(-2)s(-1). After similar to 10 days of operation at luminosity similar to 1029 cm(-2)s(-1), the light output of the plastic scintillators is expected to degrade by similar to 10% due to radiation damage. This degradation will be monitored and corrected for using calibration pulses from a laser

Proton-Nucleus Collisions at the LHC: Scientific Opportunities and Requirements

Proton-nucleus (p+A) collisions have long been recognized as a crucial component of the physics programme with nuclear beams at high energies, in particular for their reference role to interpret and understand nucleus-nucleus data as well as for their potential to elucidate the partonic structure of matter at low parton fractional momenta (small-x). Here, we summarize the main motivations that make a proton-nucleus run a decisive ingredient for a successful heavy-ion programme at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and we present unique scientific opportunities arising from these collisions. We also review the status of ongoing discussions about operation plans for the p+A mode at the LHC.Comment: 33 pages, 15 Figure