Computation of the Tevatron luminosity using measured machine parameters

In order to extract the cross section from a measured reaction rate an experimenter needs to know the incident flux. At a collider the flux is referred to as the luminosity. The luminosity can be determined in an experiment by measuring the rate of a reaction with a known cross section. An alternative calculation of the luminosity which is based on measurements made on the stored beam in the Tevatron is described. The measurements necessary for the calculation, which must be made on each of the p and p bunches, are the intensity and the transverse and longitudinal extent of each of the bunches.<>