Very Forward proton-proton interactions with the LHCf detector

Abstract

The LHCf experiment has been designed to precisely measure very forward neutral particle spectra produced in proton-proton collisions at LHC up to an energy of 14 TeV in the center of mass system. These measurements are of fundamental importance to calibrate the Monte Carlo models widely used in the high energy cosmic ray (HECR) field, up to an equivalent laboratory energy of the order of 1017 eV. In 2009-2010 the experiment has completed the p-p data taking at sqrt{s} = 0.9 TeV and sqrt{s}=7 TeV and the detectors have later on been removed from the tunnel region, when the LHC luminosity increased above 1030 cm-2s-1. In this paper the most up-to-date results on the inclusive photon spectra and the pi0 spectra measured by LHCf are reported. Comparison of these spectra with the model expectations and the impact on high energy cosmic ray (HECR) Physics are discussed. In addition, perspectives for future analyses as well as the program for the next data taking period, in particular the foreseen data taking in p-Pb collisions, will be discussed.