Cross Section Conversion Calculator
Convert between different cross section units used in particle physics
Quick Reference - Typical Cross Sections:
Total pp (14 TeV): 110 mb
Inelastic pp (14 TeV): 80 mb
W boson: 200 nb
Z boson: 60 nb
Top quark pair: 830 pb
Higgs (ggF): 50 pb
WW scattering: 100 fb
Nuclear (geometric): 1 barn
Thomson scattering: 0.665 barn
About Cross Sections
The cross section quantifies the probability of a specific interaction. It has units of area, with the barn (10⁻²⁸ m²) being the standard unit in nuclear and particle physics.
Unit Relationships:
- 1 barn = 10⁻²⁴ cm² = 10⁻²⁸ m² = 100 fm²
- 1 mb = 10⁻³ b, 1 μb = 10⁻⁶ b
- 1 nb = 10⁻⁹ b, 1 pb = 10⁻¹² b
- 1 fb = 10⁻¹⁵ b, 1 ab = 10⁻¹⁸ b
Event Rate:
N = σ × L (events = cross section × integrated luminosity)