CHANNEL-COUPLING EFFECTS IN HIGH-ENERGY HADRON-COLLISIONS

The two-gluon model of the Pomeron predicts strongly size-dependent hi gh-energy hadron cross sections. Yet experimental cross sections for r adially excited mesons appear surprisingly close in value. The strong coupling of these mesons in hadron collisions also predicted by the mo del permits a qualitative understanding of this puzzling behavior in t erms of eigenmode propagation with a common eigen-sigma. A detailed se miempirical coupled-channel model of the Pomeron is constructed to elu cidate this and other features of high-energy hadron cross sections.