Multiperipheral model of direct muon production

We discuss the production of massive μμ pairs in $pp$ collisions at high energy using the pion-exchange multiperipheral model. The reaction is assumed to proceed through the sequence (virtualπ⁺π^-)→γ→μμ, with a pion form factor included at the first stage. We present both numerical results for various cross sections of interest and some general results following from a Regge expansion. In particular, we find a scaling law for dσdq² easily distinguishable from the parton-model analog. The numerical results are in rough agreement with presently available data, and we conclude that the bulk of muon-pair production can be attributed to familiar hadronic mechanisms.