CHIRAL LAGRANGIAN AND LOW-LYING MESON RESONANCES

The quartic derivative terms of the chiral Lagrangian for pipi scatter ing are reanalysed using the forward dispersion relation. It is shown that the pi + pi0 and pi0pi0 total cross sections above 1 GeV make con tributions to the Skyrme and non-Skyrme terms, 10% and 30% respectivel y, of the low-energy contributions. For both the quartic terms, the hi gh-energy contribution tends to cancel the finite width corrections, l eaving a strength given by vector and scalar meson dominance, consiste nt with low-energy pipi data. In particular our analysis shows clearly that vector meson dominance, as often used in pion physics, can now b e justified in a reliable manner.