On minimum-bias effects at the LHC

In general, minimum-bias triggers planned for experiments at the LHC miss a considerable fraction of the total number of events. We exemplify the rejection rate using the Durham model of soft high-energy interactions to obtain quantitative estimates of the signals arising from the ATLAS scintillation counters positioned in the rapidity intervals 2<|eta|<4, and also from TOTEM detectors covering the intervals 3.1<|eta|<6.5. Typically we find that the expected signal is about half of the total cross section, sigma(tot). We also calculate the cross section for the so-called zero-bias measurement planned by CMS in the extended rapidity interval -5<eta<7. We emphasize that only models which give satisfactory predictions for the measured minimum-bias or zero-bias cross sections can be used to obtain the value of the total inelastic cross section.