Regge exchange and absorption in the inclusive reactionπ−p→π0X

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We predict the cross section for the inclusive process ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}+\mathrm{anything}$ in the region ${x}_{{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.7$, using a triple-Regge model with absorption corrections. Absorption is calculated by a generalization of Regge-cut theory in two-body reactions, and is consistent with data on ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}n$. We conclude that measurements of ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}X$ at laboratory energies > 100 GeV will yield important new information on the strength of absorptive effects in strong interactions. In particular, we predict that the effective $\ensuremath{\rho}$ trajectory in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}X$ will lie higher than in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}n$ by \ensuremath{\sim}0.3, for $\ensuremath{-}t\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.8$ Ge${\mathrm{V}}^{2}$ and $x\ensuremath{\sim}1$. The cross section will show no dip structure at $\ensuremath{-}t\ensuremath{\simeq}0.6$ Ge${\mathrm{V}}^{2}$ or elsewhere, contrary to the predictions of models with nonsense-wrong signature zeros.