Regge Analysis of Pion-pion (and Pion-kaon) Scattering for Energy S

We perform a detailed Regge analysis of NN , πN and ππ scattering. From it, we find expressions that represent the ππ scattering amplitudes with an accuracy of a few percent, for exchange of isospin zero, and ∼ 15% for exchange of isospin 1, and this for energies s > 1.4GeV and for momentum transfers |t| < ∼ 0.4GeV. These Regge formulas are perfectly compatible with the low energy (s ∼ 1.4GeV) scattering amplitudes deduced from ππ phase shift analyses as well as with higher energy (s > ∼ 1.4GeV) experimental ππ cross sections. They are also compatible with NN and πN experimental cross sections using factorization, a property that we check with great precision. This contrasts with results from phase shift analyses of the ππ scattering amplitude which bear little resemblance to reality in the region 1.4 < s < 2 GeV, as they are not well defined and increasingly violate a number of physical requirements as energy grows. πK scattering is also considered, and we present a Regge analysis for these processes valid for energies s > 1.7 GeV. Typeset with PHysMaTEX -regge analysis of ππ (and πK) scattering for energy s > 1.4 gev-