Note on the impact parameter analysis of high-energy proton-proton collisions

Following a prior analysis of measured pp elastic differential cross-sections, the impact parameter representation in terms of profile functions is calculated from two different parametrizations of single diffractive dissociation data. The derivative of this quantity, with respect to the collision energy squared s, measures the growth rate of the reaction's blackness. Its distribution in impact parameter space allows detailed insight into the growth pattern of the total diffractive cross-section and the approaching unitarity limit. Comparing the results with the elastic case, the different mechanisms of unitarization of two parametrizations are discussed. (orig.)