Analysis of Central Diffraction with the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer

We present an analysis of central diffractive events in proton–proton collisions using the CMS-TOTEM Precision Proton Spectrometer (PPS). By tagging protons and reconstructing vertex positions via timing detectors, we explore a class of pomeron-mediated interactions in a non-perturbative QCD regime. We study kinematic distributions in data and simulation, applying event selection, timing correlations, event mixing, and sideband subtraction to estimate and separate background. We present one of the first cross-section measurements of central diffraction at LHC energies, providing new insights into a poorly modelled process.

As an addition to this primary project, we also detail the process of testing a proposed upgrade to the PPS timing detectors in the CERN Prévessin site test beam. In particular, we show how to automate data taking to characterise amplifiers used in the detector.