AFP detectors - first experience with data

The ATLAS Forward Proton (AFP) is a forward detector using a Roman Pot technique, recently installed in the LHC tunnel. It is aiming at registering protons that were diffractively or electromagnetically scattered in soft and hard processes. AFP plans to take data both in standard high-luminosity periods, as well as in dedicated runs, where colliding beams are separated in order to decrease the luminosity. The advantage of dedicated running is that pile-up is small and in consequence, in the majority of registered events there is only one proton-proton interaction. By combining AFP data together with the data from the ATLAS Inner Detector, it is possible to have insight on what happens in diffractive events in the whole available acceptance. In 2016 the AFP detectors were present only on one side of the interaction point. The collected data can be used for studies of single diffractive processes. In 2017 the detectors on the other side have been installed, which allows studies of central diffractive production. This poster presents the construction and principle of operation of the AFP detector. First experience from operation and first physics results obtained from 2016 data will be presented.