Covariant QCD Modeling of Light Meson Physics

We summarize recent progress in soft QCD modeling based on the set of Dyson--Schwinger equations truncated to ladder-rainbow level. This covariant approach to hadron physics accommodates quark confinement and implements the QCD one-loop renormalization group behavior. We compare the dressed quark propagator, pseudoscalar and vector meson masses as a function of quark mass, and the rho -> pi pi coupling to recent lattice-QCD data. The error in the Gell-Mann--Oakes--Renner relation with increasing quark mass is quantified by comparison to the exact pseudoscalar mass relation as evaluated within the ladder-rainbow Dyson-Schwinger model.Comment: Presented at the International School on Nuclear Physics, 24th course: Quarks in Nuclei, Erice, Sicily, September 2002; to be published in Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys.; 6 pages, 6 fig

The quark-photon vertex and meson electromagnetic form factors

The ladder Bethe-Salpeter solution for the dressed photon-quark vertex is used to study the low-momentum behavior of the pion electromagnetic and the $\gamma^\star \pi^0 \gamma$ transition form factors. With model parameters previously fixed by light meson masses and decay constants, the low-momentum slope of both form factors is in excellent agreement with the data. In comparison, the often-used Ball-Chiu Ansatz for the vertex is found to be deficient; less than half of the obtained $r_\pi^2$ is generated by that Ansatz while the remainder of the charge radius could be attributed to the tail of the $\rho$ resonance.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, uses espcrc1.sty, talk presented at PANIC99, Uppsala, Swede

Dyson-Schwinger Equations: An Instrument for Hadron Physics

Dyson-Schwinger equations furnish a Poincare' covariant approach to hadron physics. They reveal that dynamical chiral symmetry breaking is tied to the long-range behaviour of the strong interaction and make predictions corroborated by modern lattice-QCD simulations. A hallmark in the contemporary use of DSEs is the existence of a nonperturbative, symmetry preserving truncation that enables the proof of exact results. The systematic error associated with the truncation's leading term has been quantified and this underpins an efficacious one-parameter model that is being employed to study meson excited states.Comment: 9 pages; LaTeX2e; Contribution to proceedings of "17th International Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics," Duke University/TUNL, 5-10/June/200

Goldstone Boson's Valence-Quark Distribution

Dynamical chiral symmetry breaking (DCSB) is one of the keystones of low-energy hadronic phenomena. Dyson-Schwinger equations provide a model-independent quark-level understanding and correlate that with the behaviour of the pion's Bethe-Salpeter amplitude. This amplitude is a core element in the calculation of pion observables and combined with the dressed-quark Schwinger function required by DCSB it yields a valence-quark distribution function for the pion that behaves as (1-x)^2 for x~1, in accordance with perturbative analyses. This behaviour can be verified at contemporary experimental facilities.Comment: 7 pages, LaTeX2e, espcrc2.sty; Summary of a presentation at the 11th International Light-Cone Workshop: ``Light-cone Physics: Particles and Strings,'' ECT*, Trento, Italy, 3-11/Nov./200

Facets of confinement and dynamical chiral symmetry breaking

The gap equation is a cornerstone in understanding dynamical chiral symmetry breaking and may also provide clues to confinement. A symmetry-preserving truncation of its kernel enables proofs of important results and the development of an efficacious phenomenology. We describe a model of the kernel that yields: a momentum-dependent dressed-quark propagator in fair agreement with quenched lattice-QCD results; and chiral limit values: f_pi= 68 MeV and = -(190 MeV)^3. It is compared with models inferred from studies of the gauge sector.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures; contribution to the proceedings of Quark Nuclear Physics (QNP 2002), Juelich, Germany, 9-14 Jun 200

QCD modeling of hadron physics

We review recent developments in the understanding of meson properties as solutions of the Bethe-Salpeter equation in rainbow-ladder truncation. Included are recent results for the pseudoscalar and vector meson masses and leptonic decay constants, ranging from pions up to c\bar{c} bound states; extrapolation to b\bar{b} states is explored. We also present a new and improved calculation of F_\pi(Q^2) and an analysis of the \pi\gamma\gamma transition form factor for both \pi(140) and \pi(1330). Lattice-QCD results for propagators and the quark-gluon vertex are analyzed, and the effects of quark-gluon vertex dressing and the three-gluon coupling upon meson masses are considered.Comment: 17 pages, 19 postscript figures, contribution to the proceedings of LC05, Cairns, Australia, July 200

Meson elastic and transition form factors

The Dyson-Schwinger equations of QCD, truncated to ladder-rainbow level, are used to calculate meson form factors in impulse approximation. The infrared strength of the ladder-rainbow kernel is described by two parameters fitted to the chiral condensate and f_pi; the ultraviolet behavior is fixed by the QCD running coupling. This obtained elastic form factors F_pi(Q^2) and F_K(Q^2) agree well with the available data. We also calculate the rho to pi gamma and K* to K gamma transition form factors, which are useful for meson-exchange models.Comment: 6 pages, contribution to the JLab workshop Exclusive processes at high-t, May 200