Reexamining the jet contribution to the photoproduction cross section

We reexamine the contribution of minijet production to the total photoproduction cross section. We show that previous calculations showing a dramatic increase of the cross section with energy have overestimated the minijet contribution at very high energies (E_γ>10⁶ GeV). We present revised quantitative predictions. Understanding the high energy behavior of the photoproduction cross section should be a high priority as it is dictated by the gluon structure of high energy photons which will be studied in detail at the DESY ep collider HERA. It is also essential for understanding the development of extensive air showers.