Elastic Meson-Nucleon and Nucleon-Nucleon Scattering: Models vs. All Available Data

Abstract

We consider simple-pole descriptions of soft elastic scattering at small $t$ and $s$, and allow for the presence of a hard pomeron. We have built and analyzed an exhaustive dataset and we show that simple poles provide an excellent description of the data in the region $- 0.5$ GeV$^2 < t <$ $- 0.1$ GeV$^2$, 6 GeV$<\sqrt{s}<$63 GeV. We show that new form factors have to be used, and get information on the trajectories of the soft and hard pomerons.