Discretized light-cone quantization: Application to quantum electrodynamics

Technical Report · Fri Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6641927· OSTI ID:6641927

Tang, A C

In this work, a general method for solving quantum field theories, Discretized Light-Cone Quantization (DLCQ), is presented. The method is very straightforward and essentially consists of diagonalizing the light-cone Hamiltonian matrix for the mass spectrum and wavefunctions. This method has been applied successfully in the past to various one space, one time dimensional theories. In each of these past applications, the mass spectrum and wave functions were successfully obtained, and all results agree with previous analytical and numerical work. The success of DLCQ in 1 + 1 dimensions provides the hope of solving theories in three space and one time dimensions. The application to higher dimensions is much more involved than in 1 + 1 dimensions due to the need to introduce ultraviolet and infrared regulators, and invoke a renormalization scheme consistent with gauge invariance and Lorentz invariance. This is in addition to the extra work involved implementing two extra dimensions with their added degrees of freedom. In this paper, I will present the application of DLCQ to 3 + 1 dimensional Quantum Electrodynamics. 24 refs., 43 figs., 2 tabs.

• Research Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Menlo Park, CA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 6641927
• Report Number(s): SLAC-351; ON: DE90014832
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

645400* -- High Energy Physics-- Field Theory
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CALCULATION METHODS
COMPUTER CODES
ELECTRODYNAMICS
FIELD THEORIES
FUNCTIONS
HAMILTONIANS
LIGHT CONE
MASS SPECTRA
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
QUANTIZATION
QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS
QUANTUM FIELD THEORY
QUANTUM OPERATORS
RENORMALIZATION
SPACE-TIME
SPECTRA
VARIATIONAL METHODS
WAVE FUNCTIONS
Z CODES