The possibility that the triple-Pomeron coupling vanishes at qt=0

We study the case when the triple-Pomeron vertex is assumed to have a vectorial form, that is, the amplitude of high-mass diffractive dissociation vanishes as V∝vector qt.vector e as qt→0. We find that the available data in the triple-Reggeon region may be well described in such a 'weak' coupling scenario, providing that absorptive effects are taken into account. We compare this weak-vector coupling scenario with the strong and weak-scalar coupling scenarios. Corresponding predictions are presented for an LHC energy of 14 TeV. (orig.)