Inelastic diffractive scattering in nonperturbative QCD

Abstract

We examine diffractive proton-proton scattering p p -> p X and photo- and electroproduction of \rho^0 mesons \gamma^(*) p -> \rho^0 X, where X denotes a proton or a final state, into which the proton can go by diffractive dissociation. Using a functional integral approach we derive the scattering amplitudes, which are governed by the expectation values of light-like Wegner-Wilson loops, which are then evaluated using the model of the stochastic vacuum. For the proton, we assume a quark-diquark structure. From the scattering amplitudes we calculate total and differential cross sections for high centre of mass energy and small momentum transfer and compare with experiments. Furthermore we calculate isovector form factors for the proton and the pion within the same model.