Dynamics of diffractive dissociation

Abstract

Abstract We describe a QCD based model which incorporates the main properties of the inclusive particle distributions expected for diffractive processes, including the diffractive dissociation at high energies. We study, in turn, the total cross section, $$\sigma _\mathrm{tot}$$ σ tot , the differential elastic, $$d\sigma _\mathrm{el}/dt$$ d σ el / d t , cross section, the dependence of the single proton dissociation cross section, $$\xi d\sigma ^\mathrm{SD}/d\xi $$ ξ d σ SD / d ξ , on the momentum fraction, $$\xi =1-x_L$$ ξ = 1 - x L , lost by the leading proton, the multiplicity distributions in inelastic (non-diffractive) collisions and in the processes of dissociation. Besides this we calculate the mean transverse momenta of the ‘wee partons’ (secondaries) produced in the case of dissociation (that is in the processes with a large rapidity gap) and compare it with that in inelastic interactions.