Soft multihadron production from partonic structure and fragmentation functions

Abstract

We describe a two-chain model for soft multiparticle production in hadronic collisions. The model is formulated in a parton framework and is consistent with the dual topological scheme for the Pomeron. The sole inputs are valence quark structure functions in the colliding hadrons and parton fragmentation functions, both of which are known from “hard” processes. Our model, which contains no adjustable parameters, reproduces the shape, the energy dependence, and the normalization of inclusive spectra both in the central region and in the fragmentation region. The model provides a natural explanation for the ratio of πp topp cross sections.