An empirical model for the $pp$ elastic differential cross section is proposed. Inspired by early work by Barger and Phillips, we parametrize the scattering amplitude in building blocks, comprising of two exponentials with a relative phase, supplemen
ting the dominant term at small $-t$ with the proton form factor. This model suitably applies to LHC7 and ISR data, enabling to make simple predictions for higher LHC energies and to check whether asymptotia might be achieved.
An almost model-independent parametrization for the ratio of the total hadronic cross section to elastic slope is discussed. Its applicability in studies of asymptotia and analyses of extensive air shower in cosmic-ray physics is also outlined.
An almost model-independent parametrization for the ratio of the total cross section to the elastic slope, as function of the center of mass energy, is introduced. The analytical result is based on the approximate relation of this quantity with the r
atio $R$ of the elastic to total cross section and empirical fits to the $R$ data from proton-proton scattering above 10 GeV, under the conditions of asymptotic unitarity and the black-disk limit. This parametrization may be useful in studies of extensive air showers and the determination of the proton-proton total cross section from proton-air production cross section in cosmic-ray experiments.
We discuss how the main features of the recent LHC data on elastic scattering can be described by a QCD-inspired formalism with a dynamical infrared mass scale. For this purpose new developments on a dynamical gluon mass approach are reported, with e
mphasis on a method to estimate uncertainty bounds in the predictions for the high-energy scattering observables. We investigate the effects due to the correlations among the fixed and free parameters involved and show that the band of predictions are consistent with the recent data from the TOTEM experiment, including the forward quantities and the differential cross section up to the dip position.
In the framework of a dynamical gluon mass model recently developed, we investigate the effects of two essential parameters in the description of elastic $pp$ and $bar{p}p$ data at high energies: the soft Pomeron intercept and the dynamical gluon mas
s. By considering relevant numerical intervals for both parameters and fits to the experimental data up to 1.8 TeV, with good statistical results, we discuss the predictions of the physical quantities at the LHC energies (7 and 14 TeV). We conclude that these quantities are sensitive to those variations and the predictions are correlated with the intervals considered for both parameters. This conclusion puts limits on the reliability of QCD inspired models predictions at the LHC energies, mainly those models with ad hoc fixed values for the mass scale and the Pomeron intercept.
