DOUBLE DIFFRACTION DISSOCIATION AT HIGH-T

Diffractive scattering in the presence of a large momentum transfer is an ideal place to study the short distance rapidity gap producing mec hanism. Previous studies (experimental and theoretical) in this area h ave focussed on gaps between jets and on high-t vector meson productio n. We propose the measurement of double dissociation at high-t. We exa mine the numerous advantages to studying this more inclusive process a nd conclude that it is an ideal place to study short distance diffract ion. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.