Regge Theory is a framework in theoretical physics that primarily addresses the behavior of scattering amplitudes in high-energy particle collisions. It was developed in the 1950s, primarily by Tullio Regge, and is particularly useful in the study of strong interactions in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). The central idea of Regge Theory is the concept of Regge poles, which are complex angular momentum values that can be associated with the exchange of particles in scattering processes. This approach allows physicists to describe the scattering amplitude as a sum over contributions from these poles, leading to the expression:
where and are the Mandelstam variables representing the square of the energy and momentum transfer, respectively. Regge Theory also connects to the notion of dual resonance models and has implications for string theory, making it an essential tool in both particle physics and the study of fundamental forces.
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