THE COUPLING OF THE QCD POMERON IN VARIOUS SEMIHARD PROCESSES

The higher-order contributions to various QCD processes are considered. The terms due to the exchange of an eikonal gluon between the incoming partons are studied. These terms dominate the high-energy behaviour. This allows the extraction of the impact factor for each of these processes and hence the strength of their lowest-order couplings to the QCD pomeron. After examination of the relationship between the parts that are dependent and independence of the subtraction point in the MS scheme, an alternative subtraction scheme is proposed in which most of the large correction arising in this kinematical region is absorbed into the gluon distribution function. © 1990.