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Spin constraints on Regge predictions and perturbative evolution in high energy collisions

Two key issues in the application of perturbative QCD and Regge predictions to high energy processes are whether the hard and soft pomerons should be considered as two separate distinct exchanges and whether the Regge intercepts are Q^2 independent or not. Models involving a distinct hard pomeron exchange predict much larger values for the LHC total cross-section. Here we argue that there is a polarized analogue of this issue in the isovector part of the spin structure function g_1 and that the spin data appear to favour a distinct hard exchange.