The off-mass shell scattering amplitude, satisfying the Bethe-Salpeter equation for spinless particles in Minkowski space with the ladder kernel, is computed for the first time.
For a relativistic system of two scalar particles, we find the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude in Minkowski space and use it to compute the electromagnetic form factor. The comparison with Euclidean space calculation shows that the Wick rotation in the form factor integral induces errors which increase with the momentum transfer Q^2. At JLab domain (Q^2=10 GeV^2/c^2), they are about 30%. Static approximation results in an additional and more significant error. On the contrary, the form factor calculated in light-front dynamics is almost indistinguishable from the Minkowski space one.
We present a method to directly solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation in Minkowski space, both for bound and scattering states. It is based on a proper treatment of the singularities which appear in the kernel, propagators and Bethe-Salpeter amplitude itself. The off-mass shell scattering amplitude for spinless particles interacting by a one boson exchange is computed for the first time.
We review a method to directly solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation in Minkowski space, both for bound and scattering states. It is based on a proper treatment of the many singularities which appear in the kernel and propagators. The off-mass shell scattering amplitude for spinless particles interacting by a one boson exchange was computed for the first time. Using our Minkowski space solutions for the initial (bound) and final (scattering) states, we calculate elastic and transition (bound to scattering state) electromagnetic form factors. The conservation of the transition electromagnetic current J.q=0, verified numerically, confirms the validity of our solutions.
The method of solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation in Minkowski space, which we developed previously for spinless particles, is extended to a system of two fermions. The method is based on the Nakanishi integral representation of the amplitude and on projecting the equation on the light-front plane. The singularities in the projected two-fermion kernel are regularized without modifying the original Bethe-Salpeter amplitudes. The numerical solutions for the J=0 bound state with the scalar, pseudoscalar and massless vector exchange kernels are found. The stability of the scalar and positronium states without vertex form factor is discussed. Binding energies are in close agreement with the Euclidean results. Corresponding amplitudes in Minkowski space are obtained.
Recently developed methods allowing to find the solutions of the Bethe-Salpeter equations in Minkowski space, both for the bound and scattering states, are reviewed. For the bound states, one obtains the bound state mass and the corresponding BS amplitude. For the scattering states, the phase shifts (complex above the meson creation threshold) and the half-off-shell BS amplitude are found. Using these solutions, the elastic and transition electromagnetic form factors are calculated.