HIGH-MASS DIFFRACTION IN THE QCD DIPOLE PICTURE

Using the QCD dipole picture of the BFKL pomeron, the cross-section of single diffractive dissociation of virtual photons at high energy and large diffractively excited masses is calculated. The calculation rak es into account the full impact-parameter phase-space and thus allows to obtain an exact value of the triple BFKL Pomeron vertex. It appears large enough to compensate the perturbative 6-gluon coupling factor ( alpha/pi)(3) thus suggesting a rather appreciable diffractive cross-se ction, (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.