Hadron-nucleus collisions at high energies

Abstract

We discuss high-energy hadron-nucleus scattering in terms of models in which the basic hadron-hadron interaction is due to the exchange of Regge poles and cuts. Much of the paper uses a configuration-space description in which the time scales of interactions are of critical importance, although equivalent results may be obtained in momentum space. We study in detail the general behavior of elastic, total, and inclusive cross sections, the relevance of the Glauber expansion, and the influence of Regge cuts and interactions. Most of the discussion is based on the softened-field-theory model of Reggeons, although we also consider the contrasting planar dual string model and show how one may experimentally distinguish between models of these two types.