Quantum Chromodynamics and Other Field Theories on the Light Cone

We discuss the light-cone quantization of gauge theories as a calculational tool for representing hadrons as QCD bound-states of relativistic quarks and gluons, and also as a novel method for simulating quantum field theory on a computer. The light-cone Fock state expansion of wavefunctions provides a precise definition of the parton model and a general calculus for hadronic matrix elements. We present several new applications of light-cone Fock methods, including calculations of exclusive weak decays of heavy hadrons, and intrinsic heavy-quark contributions to structure functions. Discretized light-cone quantization, is outlined and applied to several gauge theories. We also discuss the construction of the light-cone Fock basis, the structure of the light-cone vacuum, and outline the renormalization techniques required for solving gauge theories within the Hamiltonian formalism on the light cone.Comment: 206 pages Latex, figures included, Submitted to Physics Report

Renormalization of an effective Light-Cone QCD-inspired theory for the Pion and other Mesons

The renormalization of the effective QCD-Hamiltonian theory for the quark-antiquark channel is performed in terms of a renormalized or fixed-point Hamiltonian that leads to subtracted dynamical equations. The fixed point-Hamiltonian brings the renormalization conditions as well as the counterterms that render the theory finite. The approach is renormalization group invariant. The parameters of the renormalized effective QCD-Hamiltonian comes from the pion mass and radius, for a given constituent quark mass. The 1s and excited 2s states of $\bar u q$ are calculated as a function of the mass of the quark $q$ being s, c or b, and compared to the experimental values.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figure

Tube Model for Light-Front QCD

We propose the tube model as a first step in solving the bound state problem in light-front QCD. In this approach we neglect transverse variations of the fields, producing a model with 1+1 dimensional dynamics. We then solve the two, three, and four particle sectors of the model for the case of pure glue SU(3). We study convergence to the continuum limit and various properties of the spectrum.Comment: 29 page

Universal description of S-wave meson spectra in a renormalized light-cone QCD-inspired model

A light-cone QCD-inspired model, with the mass squared operator consisting of a harmonic oscillator potential as confinement and a Dirac-delta interaction, is used to study the S-wave meson spectra. The two parameters of the harmonic potential and quark masses are fixed by masses of rho(770), rho(1450), J/psi, psi(2S), K*(892) and B*. We apply a renormalization method to define the model, in which the pseudo-scalar ground state mass fixes the renormalized strength of the Dirac-delta interaction. The model presents an universal and satisfactory description of both singlet and triplet states of S-wave mesons and the corresponding radial excitations.Comment: RevTeX, 17 pages, 7 eps figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Masses of the physical mesons from an effective QCD--Hamiltonian

The front form Hamiltonian for quantum chromodynamics, reduced to an effective Hamiltonian acting only in the $q\bar q$ space, is solved approximately. After coordinate transformation to usual momentum space and Fourier transformation to configuration space a second order differential equation is derived. This retarded Schr\"odinger equation is solved by variational methods and semi-analytical expressions for the masses of all 30 pseudoscalar and vector mesons are derived. In view of the direct relation to quantum chromdynamics without free parameter, the agreement with experiment is remarkable, but the approximation scheme is not adequate for the mesons with one up or down quark. The crucial point is the use of a running coupling constant $\alpha_s(Q^2)$, in a manner similar but not equal to the one of Richardson in the equal usual-time quantization. Its value is fixed at the Z mass and the 5 flavor quark masses are determined by a fit to the vector meson quarkonia.Comment: 18 pages, 4 Postscript figure

Gluon Distribution Functions for Very Large Nuclei at Small Transverse Momentum

We show that the gluon distribution function for very large nuclei may be computed for small transverse momentum as correlation functions of an ultraviolet finite two dimensional Euclidean field theory. This computation is valid to all orders in the density of partons per unit area, but to lowest order in $\alpha_s$. The gluon distribution function is proportional to $1/x$, and the effect of the finite density of partons is to modify the dependence on transverse momentum for small transverse momentum.Comment: TPI--MINN--93--52/T, NUC--MINN--93--28/T, UMN--TH--1224/93, LaTex, 11 page

Finiteness Conditions for Light-Front Hamiltonians

In the context of simple models, it is shown that demanding finiteness for physical masses with respect to a longitudinal cutoff, can be used to fix the ambiguity in the renormalization of fermions masses in the Hamiltonian light-front formulation. Difficulties that arise in applications of finiteness conditions to discrete light-cone quantization are discussed.Comment: REVTEX, 9 page