Diffractive Excitation in Quantum Chromodynamics

G. Bertsch; S. J. Brodsky; A. S. Goldhaber; J. G. Gunion

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.47.297

Diffractive Excitation in Quantum Chromodynamics

G. Bertsch, S. J. Brodsky, A. S. Goldhaber, and J. G. Gunion

Phys. Rev. Lett. 47, 297 – Published 3 August 1981

Abstract

Hadronic collision models based on quantum chromodynamics predict remarkably large cross sections for diffractive scattering of hadrons on a nuclear target. The diffraction arises from the transparency of a nucleus to the portion of the projectile wave function having small transverse separation between its constituents. Correspondingly, the typical transverse momentum within the diffracted system is significantly enhanced. This quantum-chromodynamics-based picture leads to large cross sections for diffractive charm production.

Received 11 May 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.47.297

Authors & Affiliations

G. Bertsch^*, S. J. Brodsky^†, A. S. Goldhaber^‡, and J. G. Gunion^§

Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

^*Permanent address: Physics Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich. 48824.
^†Permanent address: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford University, Standford, Cal. 94305.
^‡Permanent address: Institute for Theoretical Physics, State University of New York, Stony Brook, N.Y. 11794.
^§Permanent address: Physics Department, University of California, Davis, Cal. 95616.