- Open Access
Complex logistic equation for universal energy evolution in hadronic elastic scattering
Phys. Rev. D 113, 116041 – Published 29 June, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xz23-bqg9
Abstract
We introduce a universal evolution equation for elastic scattering of hadrons, derived from Reggeon field theory and solved in closed analytical form. The equation has a complex logistic structure and evolves initial amplitude profiles from existing models at a fixed energy, reproducing both differential cross sections and integrated quantities over a broad energy range. It admits a unique solution for each initial condition and rigorously satisfies unitarity, the Froissart–Martin bound, and dispersion relations. The dynamics are governed by two physically meaningful parameters: the effective Pomeron mass and the nonlinear coupling , both fitted at a single energy. By decoupling the nonperturbative input from the universal energy evolution, the framework enables model-independent extrapolations and provides a minimal predictive alternative to eikonal resummation. Moreover, the structure of the equation—featuring rapidity evolution, saturation, and impact-parameter dependence—shares qualitative features with nonlinear QCD equations at small-, such as Balitsky-Kovchegov and Jalilian-Marian, Iancu, McLerran, Weigert, Leonidov, and Kovner, suggesting a possible bridge between Regge-based and QCD-based approaches to high-energy scattering.
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