Sensitivity of the photon-induced processes to the proton radius
Pith reviewed 2026-06-26 19:48 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
Dilepton production in proton collisions shows non-trivial sensitivity to the proton radius through dipole form factor fits to ATLAS and CMS data.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Using a dipole form factor model, the exclusive dilepton production cross section in proton-proton collisions exhibits sensitivity to the proton radius, with the greatest effect at large dilepton invariant masses and forward or backward rapidities. Fitting the current ATLAS and CMS data yields Λ² = 0.465 ± 0.056 GeV², corresponding to an effective radius rp = 1.002 ± 0.038 fm.
What carries the argument
The dipole form factor model with parameter Λ, which parametrizes the proton electromagnetic structure and controls the photon-induced dilepton amplitude.
If this is right
- The sensitivity peaks in the high-mass and forward-rapidity regions of phase space.
- Current LHC data already provide a non-zero constraint on the effective radius within the model.
- The extracted value lies outside the range of the two PDG test scenarios considered.
- Higher-precision data in the sensitive kinematic bins would tighten the radius constraint further.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- Future runs with larger integrated luminosity could turn this into a competitive radius measurement.
- The same form-factor approach might be applied to other photon-induced final states at the LHC.
- Discrepancies between this effective radius and low-energy determinations could point to missing higher-order effects in the model.
Load-bearing premise
The single-parameter dipole form factor accurately captures the main dependence of the dilepton cross section on the proton radius across the measured kinematic range.
What would settle it
A new measurement of the dilepton cross section at high invariant mass and forward rapidity that falls well outside the band predicted by the fitted radius value of 1.002 fm would show the extracted sensitivity does not hold.
Figures
read the original abstract
We study the exclusive production of dileptons in proton--proton collisions as a probe of the proton radius. Using a dipole form factor model, we compare the conventional choice of $\Lambda^2=0.71$~GeV$^2$ with PDG test scenarios corresponding to $r_p=0.8751$~fm and $r_p=0.84087$~fm. The sensitivity is greatest at large dilepton invariant masses and forward/backward rapidity. Fitting to the current ATLAS and CMS data within the adopted model gives $\Lambda^2 = 0.465 \pm 0.056~\mathrm{GeV}^2$, corresponding to an effective radius $r_p = 1.002 \pm 0.038~\mathrm{fm}$, which indicates non-trivial sensitivity on the proton radius scale, but is not yet a definitive solution to the proton radius puzzle.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript studies exclusive dilepton production in proton-proton collisions as a probe of the proton radius. Using a single-parameter dipole form factor F(Q²) = Λ²/(Λ² + Q²), it compares the conventional Λ² = 0.71 GeV² against PDG scenarios for rp = 0.8751 fm and rp = 0.84087 fm. The sensitivity is stated to be largest at high dilepton invariant mass and forward/backward rapidity. A fit to existing ATLAS and CMS data within this model yields Λ² = 0.465 ± 0.056 GeV², corresponding to an effective radius rp = 1.002 ± 0.038 fm, which the authors interpret as evidence of non-trivial sensitivity on the proton-radius scale while noting that current data do not yet resolve the proton-radius puzzle.
Significance. If the dipole model isolates the dominant radius dependence, the work provides a concrete numerical benchmark showing that LHC photon-induced dilepton data can constrain rp at the ~4% level. The explicit fit result with uncertainty and the identification of the most sensitive kinematic regions constitute a useful starting point for future dedicated measurements. The modest conclusion that the result is not yet definitive is appropriately cautious.
major comments (2)
- [Abstract] Abstract (fit result): The reported effective radius rp = 1.002 ± 0.038 fm is obtained by fitting the single free parameter Λ² directly to the ATLAS and CMS data whose sensitivity is being claimed. This makes the demonstration of sensitivity dependent on the untested assumption that the dipole form factor captures all relevant Q² dependence across the probed kinematics; without explicit robustness checks against alternative parametrizations or NLO effects, the extracted value cannot be cleanly attributed to the proton radius.
- [Abstract] Abstract (PDG comparison): The fit yields a value outside both tested PDG radii (0.8751 fm and 0.84087 fm), yet the significance of this discrepancy rests on the validity of the single-parameter dipole model. The manuscript provides no quantitative assessment of how changes in form-factor shape or unmodeled contributions would shift the extracted Λ², which is load-bearing for interpreting the result as a probe of rp rather than a model artifact.
minor comments (1)
- The abstract would benefit from a brief statement of the kinematic cuts, background treatment, and exact data sets entering the fit to improve reproducibility.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for the positive evaluation of the work's significance and for the constructive comments on the abstract. We respond point by point below, indicating planned revisions where appropriate.
read point-by-point responses
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Referee: [Abstract] Abstract (fit result): The reported effective radius rp = 1.002 ± 0.038 fm is obtained by fitting the single free parameter Λ² directly to the ATLAS and CMS data whose sensitivity is being claimed. This makes the demonstration of sensitivity dependent on the untested assumption that the dipole form factor captures all relevant Q² dependence across the probed kinematics; without explicit robustness checks against alternative parametrizations or NLO effects, the extracted value cannot be cleanly attributed to the proton radius.
Authors: We agree that the extracted effective radius is obtained within the single-parameter dipole model and that the demonstration of sensitivity therefore rests on this assumption. The manuscript already qualifies the result as being 'within the adopted model' and states that it does not resolve the proton-radius puzzle. The primary aim is to show that existing data exhibit non-trivial sensitivity to the radius parameter at the few-percent level when analyzed in this standard framework. We will revise the abstract and add a short paragraph in the conclusions to further stress the model dependence and the desirability of future checks with alternative parametrizations. revision: partial
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Referee: [Abstract] Abstract (PDG comparison): The fit yields a value outside both tested PDG radii (0.8751 fm and 0.84087 fm), yet the significance of this discrepancy rests on the validity of the single-parameter dipole model. The manuscript provides no quantitative assessment of how changes in form-factor shape or unmodeled contributions would shift the extracted Λ², which is load-bearing for interpreting the result as a probe of rp rather than a model artifact.
Authors: The fact that the fitted value lies outside the two PDG scenarios is presented only as an illustration that the data can distinguish between different radius choices inside the dipole model, not as a claim that the true radius differs from the PDG values. We explicitly caution that current data are not yet definitive. We will revise the abstract to make this model-specific interpretation even clearer and to note that shifts from alternative form-factor shapes or higher-order effects are not quantified here. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No circularity: explicit fit of dipole parameter to external ATLAS/CMS data
full rationale
The paper adopts the standard dipole form factor F(Q²) = Λ²/(Λ² + Q²) and performs a direct fit of Λ² to existing ATLAS and CMS dilepton data, reporting the resulting effective rp via the conventional conversion rp = √(12/Λ²). This is presented as a model-dependent extraction demonstrating sensitivity, not as a first-principles derivation or prediction. No self-citations, uniqueness theorems, or ansatzes from prior author work are invoked. The output is the fitted value itself, with no reduction of a claimed independent result to the input data by construction. The analysis remains self-contained against the external datasets.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
free parameters (1)
- Λ² =
0.465 ± 0.056 GeV²
axioms (1)
- domain assumption The proton electromagnetic form factor is adequately described by the dipole model F(Q²) = 1/(1 + Q²/Λ²)².
Reference graph
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