Quark Matter 2005 Conference   Quark Matter 2005 Conference


Small x at high energy: The CMS Forward Region

Prof. Michael J. Murray

Collaboration: CMS

Abstract:

The CMS and TOTEM experiments have a suite of forward detectors that can be used for pp, pA and heavy ion collisions. Our first task will be to make an "energy budget" for heavy ion collisions. We will be close enough, ie y-ybeam = 2, to the beam rapidity to test if the "limiting fragmentation" observed at RHIC is also valid at sqrt(s) = 5.5 TeV. Based on scalings observed at RHIC we expect the CASTOR detector to be close to the peak baryon density where the baryo-chemical potential is highest. The large rapidity range of these detectors combined with the increased beam energy of the LHC allows access to partons with momentum fractions about 500 times lower than those currently probed at RHIC. This increased range provides an excellent opportunity to study the postulated color glass condensate in both nucleus-nucleus and proton-proton collisions.


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