DIFFRACTIVE LIMIT APPROACH TO ELASTIC-SCATTERING AND INELASTIC DIFFRACTION OF HIGH-ENERGY HADRONS

An approach to inelastic diffraction based on the concept of equivalen ce of diffractive states is developed. In the classical description of Good and Walker, the inelastic diffraction originates from the divers ity of elastic scattering amplitudes in the initial and final state De lta t. We consider a multichannel correction, accounting for intermedi ate transitions inside the equivalence class. This correction can be f actorized yielding the diffraction amplitude in the form N Delta t, to be taken in the ''diffractive limit'' N-->infinity, Delta t-->0 such that N Delta t is finite. We analyze elastic scattering and the inclus ive inelastic diffraction cross sections for p-p and p-(p) over bar co llisions, in the range of c.m. energy root s=20-1800 GeV. We claim tha t the angular distribution of the inclusive inelastic diffraction at s mall momentum transfers is determined by elastic scattering in the tra nsition region between the forward peak and the minimum. This is succe ssfully verified in experiment. The detailed comparison with the Good- Walker description, with emphasis on the advantages of our approach, i s presented.