EFFECTIVE CHIRAL LAGRANGIANS FOR SPIN-1 MESONS

The commonly used types of effective theory for vector mesons are revi ewed and their relationships clarified. They are shown to correspond t o different choices of field for spin-1 particles and the rules for tr ansforming between them are described. The importance of respecting ch iral symmetry is stressed. The choice of fields that transform homogen eously under the nonlinear realisation of chiral symmetry imposes no p reconceptions about the types of coupling for the mesons. This represe ntation thus provides a convenient framework for relating different th eories. It is also used to elucidate the nature of the assumptions in specific hidden-gauge and massive Yang-Mills models that have been wid ely used.