  New developments in empirical analyses of the proton-proton differential
cross section data at high energies are reported. Making use of an
unconstrained model-independent parametrization for the scattering amplitude
and two different fit procedures, all the experimental data in the
center-of-mass energy interval 19.4 - 62.5 GeV are quite well described
(optical point and data above the region of Coulomb-nuclear interference). The
contributions from the real and imaginary parts of the amplitude beyond the
forward direction are discussed and compared with the results from previous
analyses and phenomenological models. Extracted overlap functions (impact
parameter space) are outlined and a critical discussion on model-independent
analyses and results are also presented.
