Impact of the Crossing Angle on Luminosity Asymmetries at the LHC in 2016 Proton Physics Operation

During 2016 proton physics operation at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), an asymmetry of up to 10% was observed between the luminosities measured by the ATLAS and CMS experiments. As the same bunch pairs collide in both experiments, a difference in luminosities must be of either geometric or instrumental origin. This paper quantifies the impact of the crossing angle on this asymmetry. As the beams cross in different planes in the two experiments, non-round beams are expected to yield an asymmetry due to the crossing angle. Results from crossing angle measurements at both experiments are also shown and the impact on the luminosities is evaluated.