Extracting the Pomeron-Pomeron Cross Section from Diffractive Mass Spectra

Abstract

We have calculated the mass distribution ($d\sigma /d{M}_X$) as observed by UA8 Collaboration in the inclusive reaction $p\bar{p}\to pX\bar{p}$ at $\sqrt{s}=630GeV$, using the Interacting Gluon Model (IGM) with Double Pomeron Exchange included. The only new parameter is the $IPIP$ cross section, which we can extract from fitting experimental data. We compare our results with the values obtained in the UA8 study. Assuming a constant Pomeron-Pomeron total cross section (${\sigma }_{IPIP}=1mb$), we make predictions for $d\sigma /d{M}_X$ at Tevatron and LHC energies.

Comments: 20 pages, RevTex, 8 eps figures (3 new figures and references added). To appear in Phys. Rev. D