  In low-scale gravity scenarios, quantum black holes could be produced at the
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) provided the Planck scale is not higher than a few
TeV. Based on fundamental principles and a few basic assumptions, we have
constructed a model for quantum black hole production and decay in
proton-proton collisions. By performing a detailed particle-level simulation at
LHC energies, we have estimated cross sections and branching fractions for
final-state particle topologies that would uniquely identify quantum black
holes in LHC detectors. If the Planck scale is about a TeV, even with the most
pessimistic assumptions, the rates for quantum black hole production are
estimated to be above backgrounds, and some of the final-particle states are
not found in Standard Model processes. Our results could form the starting
point for a detailed investigation of quantum black holes by the LHC
experiments.
