  It is shown that protons become more active at the periphery with increase of
their collision energy. By computing the impact parameter distribution of the
proton-proton overlap function at LHC energies and comparing it with ISR (and
S$p\bar p$S for $p\bar p$) data, we conclude that the peripheral region of
protons plays an increasing role in the rise of total cross sections through
multiparticle dynamics. The size of the proton as well as its blackness
increase with energy. The protons become more black both in the central region
and, especially, at the periphery. This effect can be related to the ridge
phenomenon and to the inelastic diffraction processes at LHC energies.
