https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-008-0542-5
Regular Article - Theoretical Physics
Eikonal zeros in the momentum transfer space from proton–proton scattering: an empirical analysis
1
Instituto de Matematica, Estatística e Computação Científica, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
2
Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil
* e-mail: menon@ifi.unicamp.br
Received:
20
December
2007
Published online:
23
February
2008
By means of improved empirical fits to the differential cross section data on pp elastic scattering at and making use of a semi-analytical method, we determine the eikonal in the momentum transfer space (the inverse scattering problem). This method allows for the propagation of the uncertainties from the fit parameters up to the extracted eikonal, providing statistical evidence that the imaginary part of the eikonal (real part of the opacity function) presents a zero (change of signal) in the momentum space, at q2≈7±1 GeV2. We discuss the implication of this change of signal in the phenomenological context, showing that eikonal models with one zero provide good descriptions of the differential cross sections in the full momentum transfer range, but that is not the case for models without zero. Empirical connections between the extracted eikonal and results from a recent global analysis on the proton electric form factor are also discussed, in particular the Wu–Yang conjecture. In addition, we present a critical review on the pp differential cross section data presently available at high energies.
© Springer-Verlag / Società Italiana di Fisica, 2008