An impact parameter description of single and double diffraction dissociation

Abstract

An s-channel impact parameter model of inelastic diffraction dissociation is constructed which describes quantitatively the momentum transfer distributions of both pion and nucleon induced reactions. It is stressed that the impact parameter profile is peripheral and is approximately the same for all helicity amplitudes. From the fits to the data, the concept of a universal limiting strength (ULS) for each amplitude is deduced and its consequence for other diffractive processes, and the approximate TCHC hypothesis are discussed. Finally, detailed predictions are presented the momentum transfer distributions in the double diffraction process NN → (N π)(N π), and compared with a simple t-channel picture of diffraction dissociation.