LHC Measurements for the Modeling of Cosmic Ray Induced Air Showers

• Applicant: Dr. Clara Elisabeth Leitgeb
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 563131728

The modeling of “soft” interactions between hadrons cannot be derived from first principles of particle physics and is a key obstruction for the understanding of the nature of cosmic ray induced air showers. At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), we can create such hadronic interactions under controlled laboratory conditions. There, measurements with detectors placed in the directions of small scattering angles (“forward”) can help constrain the free parameters of hadronic interaction models. Presently, preparations for the first ever proton-Oxygen collision run in 2025 at the LHC are ongoing. This collision system is very similar to cosmic ray collisions with atmospheric nuclei and is a unique opportunity for the advancement of hadronic interaction models. With this Emmy Noether project I plan to enhance the understanding of cosmic ray induced air showers by analyzing this new, special LHC data and to develop concepts for future forward physics detectors.

• DFG Programme: Emmy Noether Independent Junior Research Groups