Flavour symmetry breaking and production processes in dual unitarisation

Abstract

The effects of SU(3) and SU(4) symmetry breaking upon the dual unitarisation scheme are considered, at the planar and cylinder levels. When the effect of cluster threshold masses is considered, it becomes difficult to explain the observed rise in the proton-proton cross section in terms of pomeron flavouring. Estimates are obtained of strange and of charmed production cross sections. The associated production of the phi and psi mesons is also considered.