Topics on High-Energy Elastic Hadron Scattering

We review the main results we have obtained in the area of high-energy elastic hadron scattering and presented in this series of Workshops on Hadronic Interactions. After an introduction to some basic experimental and theoretical concepts, we survey the results reached by means of four approaches: analytic models, model-independent analyses, eikonal models and nonperturbative QCD. Some of the ongoing researches and future perspectives are also outlined.Comment: 24 pages, 17 figures, typos corrected, one reference added and six references updated. Version to appear in Brazilian Journal of Physic

Derivative dispersion relations above the physical threshold

We discuss some formal and practical aspects related to the replacement of Integral Dispersion Relations (IDR) by derivative forms, without high-energy approximations. We first demonstrate that, for a class of functions with physical interest as forward scattering amplitudes, this replacement can be analytically performed, leading to novel Extended Derivative Dispersion Relations (EDDR), which, in principle, are valid for any energy above the physical threshold. We then verify the equivalence between the IDR and EDDR by means of a popular parametrization for total cross sections from proton-proton and antiproton-proton scattering and compare the results with those obtained through other representations for the derivative relations. Critical aspects on the limitations of the whole analysis, from both formal and practical points of view, are also discussed in some detail.Comment: Final version, published in Brazilian Journal of Physics, V. 37, 358 (2007

Extended Derivative Dispersion Relations

It is shown that, for a wide class of functions with physical interest as forward scattering amplitudes, integral dispersion relations can be replaced by derivative forms without any high-energy approximation. The applicability of these extended derivative relations, in the investigation of forward proton-proton and antiproton-proton elastic scattering, is exemplified by means of a Pomeron-Reggeon model with totally nondegenerate trajectories.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, contribution to "Sense of Beauty in Physics", Miniconference in Honor of Adriano Di Giacomo on his 70th Birthday, Pisa, Italy, Jan. 26-27, 200

Soft Pomerons and the Forward LHC Data

Recent data from LHC13 by the TOTEM Collaboration on $\sigma_{tot}$ and $\rho$ have indicated disagreement with all the Pomeron model predictions by the COMPETE Collaboration (2002). On the other hand, as recently demonstrated by Martynov and Nicolescu (MN), the new $\sigma_{tot}$ datum and the unexpected decrease in the $\rho$ value are well described by the maximal Odderon dominance at the highest energies. Here, we discuss the applicability of Pomeron dominance through fits to the \textit{most complete set} of forward data from $pp$ and $\bar{p}p$ scattering. We consider an analytic parametrization for $\sigma_{tot}(s)$ consisting of non-degenerated Regge trajectories for even and odd amplitudes (as in the MN analysis) and two Pomeron components associated with double and triple poles in the complex angular momentum plane. The $\rho$ parameter is analytically determined by means of dispersion relations. We carry out fits to $pp$ and $\bar{p}p$ data on $\sigma_{tot}$ and $\rho$ in the interval 5 GeV - 13 TeV (as in the MN analysis). Two novel aspects of our analysis are: (1) the dataset comprises all the accelerator data below 7 TeV and we consider \textit{three independent ensembles} by adding: either only the TOTEM data (as in the MN analysis), or only the ATLAS data, or both sets; (2) in the data reductions to each ensemble, uncertainty regions are evaluated through error propagation from the fit parameters, with 90 \% CL. We argument that, within the uncertainties, this analytic model corresponding to soft Pomeron dominance, does not seem to be excluded by the \textit{complete} set of experimental data presently available.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Two paragraphs and four references added. Accepted for publication in Phys. Lett.