Quantum chromodynamics and other field theories on the light cone

TLDR

Light‑cone quantization provides a calculational framework for describing hadrons as QCD bound states of relativistic quarks and gluons and for simulating quantum field theory, with the Fock‑state expansion giving a precise parton model and a general calculus for hadronic matrix elements. The study presents new applications of light‑cone Fock methods to compute exclusive weak decays of heavy hadrons and to evaluate intrinsic heavy‑quark contributions to structure functions. The authors outline discretized light‑cone quantization applied to gauge theories, describe constructing the light‑cone Fock basis, the vacuum structure, and the renormalization techniques required for solving gauge theories within the Hamiltonian formalism on the light cone.

Abstract

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.