Small-Angle Elastic Proton-Proton Scattering from 25 to 200 GeV

We have measured the differential cross section for small angle $p-p$ scattering from 25 to 200 GeV incident energy and in the momentum transfer range $0.015<\mathrm{}\left|t\right|<0.080\mathrm{} {\left(\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}\right)}^2$. We find that the slope of the forward diffraction peak, $b\left(s\right)\mathrm{}$, increases with energy and can be fitted by the form $b\left(s\right)=b_0+2\mathrm{}{\alpha }^{\prime }$ lns, where $b_0=8.3\mathrm{}\pm 1.3$ and ${\alpha }^{\prime }=0.28\mathrm{}\pm 0.13 {\left(\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}\right)}^{-2\mathrm{}}$. Such dependence is compatible with the data existing both at higher and lower energies. We have also obtained the energy dependence of the $p-p$ total cross section in the energy range from 48 to 196 GeV. Within our errors which are ± 1.1 mb the total cross section remains constant.