Forward Elastic Scattering at High Energy in anSU(3)Regge-Pole Model

The total-cross-section data on ${\pi }^{\pm }p$, $K^{\pm }p$, $K^{\pm }n$, $\mathrm{pp}$, $\overline{p}p$, $\mathrm{pn}$, and $\overline{p}n$ for laboratory momenta in the range 5 to 20 BeV/c are analyzed in terms of a meson-exchange model. The dynamics of the theoretical model for the forward scattering amplitude are provided by the Regge-pole amplitudes of the contributing exchanges; the total cross sections are obtained by the optical theorem. The allowed neutral, zero-strangeness meson exchanges are classified as members of established $\mathrm{SU}\left(3\right)\mathrm{}$ nonet or singlet multiplets. Certain linear combinations of the total cross sections are used in the analysis in order to separate the contributions of different $\mathrm{SU}\left(3\right)\mathrm{}$ multiplets according to signature under charge conjugation $C$. The odd-$C$ exchanges are associated with the members [${\rho }^0\mathrm{}\left(760\right),\phi \mathrm{}\left(1020\right),\omega \mathrm{}\left(783\right)\mathrm{}$] of the vector-meson nonet. The unitary-singlet Pomeranchuk Regge pole ($P$) and the Regge exchanges corresponding to the [$A_2\mathrm{}\left(1310\right),s_0\mathrm{}\left(1525\right),f_0\mathrm{}\left(1250\right)\mathrm{}$] members of the tensor nonet comprise the even-$C$ exchanges. The residues of the Regge poles are related by $\mathrm{SU}\left(3\right)\mathrm{}$ symmetry. The model is consistent with the experimental total cross sections. A statistical fit to the data yields information on $\frac{f}{d}$ ratios, Regge-pole residues, and trajectory intercepts at zero-momentum transfer. These parameters are in turn used to predict the real parts of the forward elastic-scattering amplitudes.