Benchmarks for the Forward Observables at RHIC, the Tevatron-run II and the LHC

Abstract

We present predictions on the total cross sections and on the ratio of the real part to the imaginary part of the elastic amplitude (rho parameter) for present and future pp and pbar p colliders, and on total cross sections for gamma p -> hadrons at cosmic-ray energies and for gamma gamma-> hadrons up to sqrt{s}=1 TeV. These predictions are based on an extensive study of possible analytic parametrisations invoking the biggest hadronic dataset available at t=0. The uncertainties on total cross sections, including the systematic errors due to contradictory data points from FNAL, can reach 1.9% at RHIC, 3.1% at the Tevatron, and 4.8% at the LHC, whereas those on the rho parameter are respectively 5.4%, 5.2%, and 5.4%.