Eur. Phys. J. A (2004) 21: 437-443
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2004-10008-x

Nuclear -radiation as a signature of ultra-peripheral ion collisions at the LHC

¹ Institute for High Energy Physics, 142281, Protvino, Russia
² Scobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University, 119992, Moscow, Russia

^* e-mail: vlk@lav01.sinp.msu.ru

Abstract

We study the peripheral ion collisions at LHC energies where a nucleus is excited to a discrete state and then emits -rays. Large nuclear Lorenz factors allow the observation of high-energy photons up to a few tens GeV and in the angular region of a few hundred micro-radians from the beam direction. These photons can be used to tagg events with particle production in the central rapidity region in ultra-peripheral collisions. To detect these photons it is necessary to have an electromagnetic detector in front of the zero-degree calorimeter in LHC experiments.