Spin and Polarization in High-Energy Hadron-Hadron and Lepton-Hadron Scattering

The role of spin degrees of freedom in high-energy hadron-hadron and lepton-hadron scattering is reviewed with emphasis on the dominant role of soft, diffractive, non-perturbative effects. Explicit models based on analyticity and Regge-pole theory, including the pomeron trajectory (gluon exchange in the t channel) are discussed. We argue that there is a single, universal pomeron in Nature, manifest as relatively "soft" or "hard", depending on the kinematics considered. Both the pomeron and the non-leading (secondary) Regge trajectories, made of quarks are non-linear, complex functions. They are populated by a finite number of resonances: known baryons and mesons in case of the reggeons and hypothetical glueballs in case of the pomeron ("oddballs" on the odderon trajectory). Explicit models and fits are presented that may be used in recovering generalized parton distributions from deeply virtual Compton scattering and electoproduction of vector mesons.