A phenomenological model of the Regge trajectory of the $\rho$ meson, based on a dispersion relation for the trajectory function and a parametrized absorptive part, is constructed and compared with existing data for $t\le 0$, and with possibly observed recurrences. A linear term, which may or may not be entirely due to inelastic channels, is required to explain the data.

• Received 3 August 1967

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.165.1722