Factorization and Scaling in Hadronic Diffraction

In standard Regge theory, the contribution of the tripe-pomeron amplitude to the t = 0 differential cross section for single diffraction dissociation has the form dσ/dMdt|t=0 ∼ (s/s0)IP (0)−1]/(M2)αIP (0), where αIP (t) is the pomeron trajectory. For αIP (0) > 1, this form, which is based on factorization, does not scale with energy. From an analysis of pp and p̄p data from fixed target to collider energies, we find that such scaling actually holds, signaling a breakdown of factorization. Phenomenologically, this result can be obtained from a scaling law in diffraction, which is embedded in the hypothesis of pomeron flux renormalization introduced to unitarize the triple pomeron amplitude. † Fellow of CNPq, Brazil.