Regge Cuts, Pomeranchuk Theorem, and the Serpukhov Total-Cross-Section Data

A quantitative explanation is given, using Regge poles and cuts, for unexpected features of total cross sections in the newly accessible range 25-65 GeV/c. Negative contributions from the leading vacuum cuts explain the leveling out of ${\sigma }_T\left(K^{-}N\right)$ and ${\sigma }_T\left({\pi }^{-}N\right)$ above 25 GeV/c; they also reconcile the apparently nonconverging $K^{\pm }N$ results with a common asymptotic limit, in accord with the Pomeranchuk theorem.