Diffraction scattering and the parton structure of hadrons

Abstract

We apply parton-model concepts to the "soft" (small-momentum-transfer) processes which make up the majority of the hadronic total cross section. Diffraction is calculated as the shadow of these soft processes. We obtain an attractive picture of the essential features of total, elastic, and diffractive-inelastic scattering. In particular, the rather large cross section for inelastic diffraction, which is observed experimentally, results from fluctuations in the distribution of the wee partons which initiate interactions. These fluctuations lead to diffractive production by the mechanism of Good and Walker. The observed peripheral character of diffraction as a function of impact parameter, the absence of a forward dip in $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{\mathrm{dt}d{m}^{2}}$, the correct integrated cross section, and the correct small-$t$ slope of diffraction all follow naturally in our approach.