An Introduction to Regge Theory and High Energy Physics

Originally published in 1977, this book presents an extended introduction to the theory of hadrons, the elementary particles which occur in the atomic nucleus. The main emphasis is on the theory of the complex angular momentum plane 'Regge theory', which has grown from Regge's demonstration in 1959 that it is useful to regard angular momentum as a complex variable when discussing solutions of the Schrodinger equation for non-relativistic potential scattering. This theory helps to classify the many different particles which have been discovered in recent years, to explain the forces between these particles and to predict the results of high-energy scattering experiments. Regge theory thus serves as a unifying concept drawing together many different features of high-energy physics. This monograph is intended primarily for research students just beginning to concern themselves with particle physics, but more experienced workers will also find much to interest them in this detailed survey of the basic ideas and results of Regge theory.