Photon collisions and new research opportunities at the LHC

Over the past decade, the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics has been comprehensively verified through extensive research at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). However, many phenomena that stem from the predictions of the SM have yet to be uncovered. The seminar will present recent studies of the production of particles resulting from photon collision (photon-induced processes). These photons are emitted by colliding protons that typically emerge intact after the interaction. This new physics domain became further accessible thanks to the development of new analysis techniques and dedicated near-beam detectors capable of tagging forward protons during standard LHC runs. Besides photon-induced processes, these detectors allow a systematic study of diffractive interactions. I'll discuss a few examples of ongoing analysis of special LHC runs and preparation for upcoming runs at the LHC with light ions.