There is a discrepancy between light-front and equal-time values for the critical coupling of two-dimensional $ϕ^4$ theory. A proposed resolution is to take into account the difference between mass renormalizations in the two quantizations. This distinction was first discussed by M. Burkardt. It prevents direct comparison of bare parameters; however, a method proposed here allows calculation of the difference and thereby resolves the discrepancy. We also consider the consequences of allowing a sector-dependent constituent mass.
Light-front quantization of the conformally gauge-fixed Polyakov D1 brane action with a scalar dilaton field is studied using the equal light-cone world-sheet time framework.
In this work, I consider the light-front quantization of a class of Nielsen-Olesen (Bogomol'nyi) models in two-space one-time dimensions in the so-called symmetry phase using the Hamiltonian, path integral and BRST formulations.
The relationship between the Dirac and reduced phase space quantizations is investigated for spin models belonging to the class of Hamiltonian systems having no gauge conditions. It is traced out that the two quantization methods may give similar, or essentially different physical results, and, moreover, it is shown that there is a class of constrained systems, which can be quantized only by the Dirac method. A possible interpretation of the gauge degrees of freedom is given.
Compact canonical quantization on the light cone (DLCQ) is examined in the limit of infinite periodicity lenth L. Pauli Jordan commutators are found to approach continuum expressions with marginal non causal terms of order $L^{-3/4}$ traced back to the handling of IR divergence through the elimination of zero modes. In contrast direct quantization in the continuum (CLCQ) in terms of field operators valued distributions is shown to provide the standard causal result while at the same time ensuring consistent IR and UV renormalization.
Using Dirac's method for the quantization of constrained systems QED is canonically quantized in the front-form in a gauge which is the light-front analog of the Weyl gauge. From the obtained vacuum wave functional the spatial Wilson loop is calculated. The result known from the canonical instant-form quantization or from the covariant path integral quantization is found only if the static limit $x^+ \to 0$ is taken in a specific order. The same ambiguity is also found in the static photon propagator in coordinate space.
It is shown that the quantization of the unphysical degrees of freedom, which leads to the Mandelstam--Leibbrandt prescription for the infrared spurious singularities in the continuum light cone gauge, does indeed suggest some quite natural recipe to treat the zero modes in the Discretized Light Front Quantization of gauge theories.
Recently, we proposed a new front-form quantization which treated both the $x^{+}$ and the $x^{-}$ coordinates as front-form 'times.' This quantization was found to preserve parity explicitly. In this paper we extend this construction to fermion fields in the context of the Yukawa theory. We quantize this theory using a method proposed originally by Faddeev and Jackiw . We find that $P^-$ {\it and} $P^+$ become dynamical and that the theory is manifestly invariant under parity.
We analyze the Markovian and non-Markovian stochastic quantization methods for a complex action quantum mechanical model analog to a Maxwell-Chern-Simons eletrodynamics in Weyl gauge. We show through analytical methods convergence to the correct equilibrium state for both methods. Introduction of a memory kernel generates a non-Markovian process which has the effect of slowing down oscillations that arise in the Langevin-time evolution toward equilibrium of complex action problems. This feature of non-Markovian stochastic quantization might be beneficial in large scale numerical simulations of…
We revisit the problem of quantizing field theories on noncommutative Moyal spacetime with \emph{light-like} noncommutativity. To tackle the issues arising from noncommuting and hence nonlocal time, we argue that for this case light-front quantization procedure should be employed. In this appropriate quantization scheme we perform the non-planar loop analysis for the light-like noncommutative field theories. One of the important and peculiar features of light-front quantization is that the UV cutoff of the light-cone Hamiltonian manifests itself as an IR cutoff for the light-cone momentum, $p^…
Recently, we have proposed a new front-form quantization which treated both the $x^{+}$ and the $x^{-}$ coordinates as front-form 'times.' This quantization was found to preserve parity explicitly. In this paper we extend this construction to local Abelian gauge fields . We quantize this theory using a method proposed originally by Faddeev and Jackiw . We emphasize here the feature that quantizing along both $x^+$ and $x^-$ , gauge theories does not require extra constraints (also known as 'gauge conditions') to determine the solution uniquely.
By performing the canonical quantization of the Abelian Chern-Simons model on the light-front (as suggested by Dirac), we clarify some controversies appearing in recent papers that discuss the relation between the existence of excitations carrying fractional spin and statistics (anyons) and this model. Properties of the Chern-Simons model on the light-front are investigated in detail, following the Dirac method for constrained dynamical systems, both for a coupled complex scalar field as well as for a spinor field.
The constrained Hamiltonian systems admitting no gauge conditions are considered. The methods to deal with such systems are discussed and developed. As a concrete application, the relationship between the Dirac and reduced phase space quantizations is investigated for spin models belonging to the class of systems under consideration. It is traced out that the two quantization methods may give similar, or essentially different physical results, and, moreover, a class of constrained systems, which can be quantized only by the Dirac method, is discussed. A possible interpretation of the gauge deg…
The Dirac procedure for dealing with constraints is applied to the quantization of gauge theories on the light front. The light cone gauge is used in conjunction with the first class constraints that arise and the resulting Dirac brackets are found. These gauge conditions are not used to eliminate degrees of freedom from the action prior to applying the Dirac constraint procedure. This approach is illustrated by considering Yang-Mills theory and the superparticle in a 2 + 1 dimensional target space.
We show that the standard result for the Casimir force between conducting plates at rest in an inertial frame can be computed in light-front quantization. This is not the same as light-front analyses where the plates are at "rest" in an infinite momentum frame. In that case, Lenz and Steinbacher have shown that the result does not agree with the standard result for plates at rest. The two important ingredients in the present analysis are a careful treatment of the boundary conditions, inspired by the work of Almeida et al. on oblique light-front coordinates, and computation of the ordinary ene…
We address problems associated with compactification near and on the light front. In perturbative scalar field theory we illustrate and clarify the relationships among three approaches: (1) quantization on a space-like surface close to a light front; (2) infinite momentum frame calculations; and (3) quantization on the light front. Our examples emphasize the difference between zero modes in space-like quantization and those in light front quantization. In particular, in perturbative calculations of scalar field theory using discretized light cone quantization there are well-known ``zero-mode i…
Gaussian effective potential is obtained for $ϕ^4_{1+1}$ quantized on a light front. It coincides with the one obtained previously within the equal time quantization. The computation of the paper substantiates the claim that light front quantization reproduces the phase structure of the theory implied by the equal time quantization.
We use the light front ``machinery'' to study the behavior of a relativistic free particle and obtain the quantum commutation relations from the classical Poisson brackets. We argue that their usual projection onto the light-front coordinates from the covariant commutation relations show that there is an inconsistency in the expected correlation between canonically conjugate variables ``time'' and ``energy''. Moreover we show that this incompatibility originates from the very definition of the Poisson brackets that is employed and present a simple remedy to this problem and envisages a profoun…
The canonical quantization on a single light front is performed for the Abelian gauge fields with the Weyl gauge coupled with fermion field currents. The analysis is carried separately for 1+1 dimensions and for higher dimensions. The Gauss law, implemented weakly as the condition on states, selects physical subspace with the Poincare covariance recovered. The perturbative gauge field propagators are found with the ML prescription for their spurious poles. The LF Feynman rules are found and their equivalence with the usual equal-time perturbation for the S-matrix elements is studied for all or…
We use the light-front machinery to study the behavior of a relativistic free particle and obtain the quantum commutation relations from the classical Poisson brackets. We argue that the usual projection onto the light-front coordinates for these from the covariant commutation ralations does not reproduce the expected results.
We use the interpolating coordinates studied by Hornbostel to investigate a transition from equal-time quantization to light-front quantization, in the context of two-dimensional $ϕ^4$ theory. A consistent treatment is found to require careful consideration of vacuum bubbles, in a nonperturbative extension of the analysis by Collins. Numerical calculations of the spectrum at fixed box size are shown to yield results equivalent to those of equal-time quantization, except when the interpolating coordinates are pressed toward the light-front limit. In that regime, a fixed box size is inconsistent…
Light-front wavefunctions provide a frame-independent representation of hadrons in terms of their physical quark and gluon degrees of freedom. The light-front Hamiltonian formalism provides new nonperturbative methods for obtaining the QCD spectrum and eigensolutions, including resolvant methods, variational techniques, and discretized light-front quantization. A new method for quantizing gauge theories in light-cone gauge using Dirac brackets to implement constraints is presented. In the case of the electroweak theory, this method of light-front quantization leads to a unitary and renormaliza…
Naive light-front quantization, carried out by a light-front energy integration of covariant amplitudes, is not guaranteed to generate the corresponding Feynman amplitudes. In an explicit example we show that the nonvalence contribution to the minus-component of the EM current of a meson with fermion constituents has a persistent end-point singularity. Only after this term is subtracted, the result is covariant and satisfies current conservation. If the spin-1/2 constituents are replaced by spin zero ones, the singularity does not occur and the result is, without any adjustment, identical to t…
Within a scheme of light front quantization of $ϕ^4_{1+1}$, it is demonstrated that dynamics of zero modes implies phase transition, and that the critical value of the coupling coincides with the one of the equal time quantization.
A genuine continuum treatment of the massive ϕ^4_{1+1}-theory in light-cone quantization is proposed. Fields are treated as operator valued distributions thereby leading to a mathematically well defined handling of ultraviolet and light cone induced infrared divergences and of their renormalization. Although non-perturbative the continuum light cone approach is no more complex than usual perturbation theory in lowest order. Relative to discretized light cone quantization, the critical coupling increases by 30% to a value r = 1.5. Conventional perturbation theory at the corresponding order yiel…
Twist-3 Generalized Parton Distribution for the Proton from Basis Light-Front Quantization
Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院近代物理研究所）；School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学核科学与技术学院）
We develop a method by which vacuum transitions may be included in light-front calculations. This allows tadpole contributions which are important for symmetry-breaking effects and yet are missing from standard light-front calculations. These transitions also dictate a nontrivial vacuum and contributions from vacuum bubbles to physical states. In nonperturbative calculations these separate classes of contributions (tadpoles and bubbles) cannot be filtered; instead, we regulate the bubbles and subtract the vacuum energy from the eigenenergy of physical states. The key is replacement of momentum…
Commutation or anticommutation relations quantized at equal instant time and commutation or anticommutation relations quantized at equal light-front time cannot be transformed into each other. While they would thus appear to describe different theories, we show that this is not in fact the case. In instant-time quantization unequal instant-time commutation or anticommutation relations for free scalar, fermion, or gauge boson fields are c-numbers. We show that when these unequal instant-time commutation or anticommutation relations are evaluated at equal light-front time they are identical to t…
We compare light-front quantization and instant-time quantization both at the level of operators and at the level of their Feynman diagram matrix elements. At the level of operators light-front quantization and instant-time quantization lead to equal light-front time commutation (or anticommutation) relations that appear to be quite different from equal instant-time commutation (or anticommutation) relations. Despite this we show that at unequal times instant-time and light-front commutation (or anticommutation) relations actually can be transformed into each other, with it only being the rest…
It is often stated that the vacuum is trivial when light-front (null-plane) quantization is applied to a quantum field theory, in contrast to the situation with equal-time quantization. In fact, it is has long been known that the statement is false, and that in certain cases the standard rules for light-front perturbation theory need modification. This paper gives an elementary review of these issues, including an explanation of how and when there is a failure of the elementary derivation of the rules for light-front perturbation theory.
It has been shown in literature that a possible mechanism of mass generation for gauge fields is through a topological coupling of vector and tensor fields. After integrating over the tensor degrees of freedom, one arrives at an effective massive theory that, although gauge invariant, is nonlocal. Here we quantize this nonlocal resulting theory both by path integral and canonical procedures. This system can be considered as equivalent to one with an infinite number of time derivatives and consequently an infinite number of momenta. This means that the use of the canonical formalism deserves so…
We employ an effective Hamiltonian that includes the transverse and longitudinal confinement and the one-gluon exchange interaction with fixed coupling constant. By solving the eigenvalue equation in basis light-front quantization (BLFQ), we generate the light-front wavefunctions (LFWFs) for the nucleon in the valence quark Fock space. Fitting the model parameters, we obtain high-quality descriptions of electromagnetic form factors and radius for proton while the results deviate somewhat from experimental data for neutron.
Commutation or anticommutation relations quantized at equal instant time and commutation or anticommutation relations quantized at equal light-front time not only cannot be transformed into each other, they take completely different forms. While they would thus appear to describe different theories, we show that this is not in fact the case. By looking not at equal times but at unequal times, we show that unequal instant-time commutation or anticommutation relations are completely equivalent to unequal light-front time commutation or anticommutation relations. Light-front quantization and inst…
Canonical formulation of quantum field theory on the Light Front (LF) is reviewed. The problem of constructing the LF Hamiltonian which gives the theory equivalent to original Lorentz and gauge invariant one is considered. We describe possible ways of solving this problem: (a) the limiting transition from the equal-time Hamiltonian in a fast moving Lorentz frame to LF Hamiltonian, (b) the direct comparison of LF perturbation theory in coupling constant and usual Lorentz-covariant Feynman perturbation theory. The results of the application of method (b) to QED-1+1 and QCD-3+1 are given. Gauge i…
We apply the basis light-front quantization framework to solve for the structures of mesons with light and strange valence quarks. Our approach treats mesons as relativistic bound states with quarks confined in both the transverse direction and the light-front longitudinal direction. The spin-orbit interactions of these confined quarks are further specified by the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. We address the $\mathrm{U}(1)_{\mathrm{A}}$ axial anomaly by including the Kobayashi-Maskawa-'t Hooft interaction regularized by our basis. We present the structures of the pion, the kaon, the eta meson, an…
An introductory overview on Light-Front quantization, with some emphasis on recent achievements, is given. Light-Front quantization is the most promising and physical tool to study deep inelastic scattering on the basis of quark gluon degrees of freedom. The simplified vacuum structure (nontrivial vacuum effects can only appear in zero-mode degrees of freedom) and the physical basis allows for a description of hadrons that stays close to intuition. Recent progress has ben made in understanding the connection between effective LF Hamiltonians and nontrivial vacuum condesates. Discrete Light-Con…
Light-front quantization has important advantages for describing relativistic statistical systems, particularly systems for which boost invariance is essential, such as the fireball created in a heavy ion collisions. In this paper we develop light-front field theory at finite temperature and density with special attention to quantum chromodynamics. We construct the most general form of the statistical operator allowed by the Poincare algebra and show that there are no zero-mode related problems when describing phase transitions. We then demonstrate a direct connection between densities in ligh…
We give a simple derivation of the Higgs mechanism in an abelian light front field theory. It is based on a finite volume quantization with antiperiodic scalar fields and a periodic gauge field. An infinite set of degenerate vacua in the form of coherent states of the scalar field that minimize the light front energy, is constructed. The corresponding effective Hamiltonian descibes a massive vector field whose third component is generated by the would-be Goldstone boson. This mechanism, understood here quantum mechanically in the form analogous to the space-like quantization, is derived withou…
The analogy between quantum chemistry and light-front quantum field theory, first noted by Kenneth G. Wilson, serves as motivation to develop light-front quantum simulation of quantum field theory. We demonstrate how calculations of hadron structure can be performed on Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum devices within the Basis Light-Front Quantization framework. We calculate the light-front wave functions of pions using an effective light-front Hamiltonian in a basis representation on a current quantum processor. We use the Variational Quantum Eigensolver to find the ground state energy and wav…
Convergence in charmonium structure: light-front wave functions from basis light-front quantization and Dyson-Schwinger equations
University of Science & Technology of China（中国科学技术大学）；Anhui Center for Fundamental Sciences in Theoretical Physics（安徽基础前沿与交叉科学研究中心）；Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics（南京航空航天大学）；Iowa State University（爱荷华州立大学）；Anhui University of Science and Technology（安徽理工大学）
I present the ``Chern--Simons'' formulation of generalized 2d dilaton gravity, summarize its Hamiltonian quantization (reduced phase space and Dirac quantization) and briefly discuss the statistical mechanical entropy of 2d black holes. Focus is put on the close relation to finite dimensional point particle systems.
We introduce a nonperturbative, first principles numerical approach for solving time-dependent problems in quantum field theory, using light-front quantization. As a first application we consider QED in a strong background field, and the process of non-linear Compton scattering in which an electron is excited by the background and emits a photon. We track the evolution of the quantum state as a function of time. Observables, such as the invariant mass of the electron-photon pair, are first checked against results from perturbation theory, for suitable parameters. We then proceed to a test case…
This work is dedicated to the quantization of the light-front Yukawa model in D=1+3 dimensions with higher order derivatives of the scalar field. The problem of the computing Dirac brackets and the (anti-) commutator algebra of interacting fields in the presence of the constraints is discussed. The Dirac method and the Ostrogradski formalism of the higher order derivatives are exploited. The systematic method of obtaining the inverse of the functional Dirac-Bergmann matrix with interactions and higher order derivatives is introduced in two variants. The discussion of applications and details o…
In this paper, we study the question of quantization of quantum field theories in a general light-front frame. We quantize scalar, fermion as well as gauge field theories in a systematic manner carrying out the Hamiltonian analysis carefully. The decomposition of the fields into positive and negative frequency terms needs to be done carefully after which we show that the (anti) commutation relations for the quantum operators become frame independent. The frame dependence is completely contained in the functions multiplying these operators in the field decomposition. We derive the propagators f…
Using the Pais-Uhlenbeck Oscillator as a toy model, we outline a consistent alternative to the indefinite-metric quantization scheme that does not violate unitarity. We describe the basic mathematical structure of this method by giving an explicit construction of the Hilbert space of state vectors and the corresponding creation and annihilation operators. The latter satisfy the usual bosonic commutation relation and differ from those of the indefinite-metric theories by a sign in the definition of the creation operator. This change of sign achieves a definitization of the indefinite-metric tha…
The light-front quantization of gauge theories in light-cone gauge provides a frame-independent wavefunction representation of relativistic bound states, simple forms for current matrix elements, explicit unitary, and a trivial vacuum. The light-front Hamiltonian form of QCD provides an alternative to lattice gauge theory for the computation of nonperturbative quantities such as the hadronic spectrum and the corresponding eigenfunctions. In the case of the electroweak theory, spontaneous symmetry breaking is represented by the appearance of zero modes of the Higgs field. Light-front quantizati…
We find a correspondence between semiclassical QCD quantized on the light-front and a dual gravity model in anti--de Sitter (AdS) space, thus providing an initial approximation to QCD in its strongly coupled regime. This correspondence -- light-front holography -- leads to a light-front Hamiltonian and relativistic bound-state wave equations that are functions of an invariant impact variable $ζ$ which measures the separation of the quark and gluonic constituents within hadrons at equal light-front time. The eigenvalues of the resulting light-front Schrödinger and Dirac equations are consistent…
A calculational framework for determining masses of low lying hadrons using light front quantization is discussed. The method is based upon four theoretical tools: discrete light cone quantization, which has been very successful in 1+1 dimensional models, a projector Monte Carlo method to extract low lying state data with 2 additional transverse dimensions, the transverse spatial lattice Hamiltonian of QCD, and exact form factors of the SU(3) x SU(3) 1+1 dimensional non-linear sigma model (NLSM). How these tools are to be put together to provide a description of hadrons is the main topic of th…
The gauge invariant formulation of Maxwell's equations and the electromagnetic duality transformations are given in the light-front (LF) variables. The novel formulation of the LF canonical quantization, which is based on the kinematic translation generator $P^{+}$ rather then on the Hamiltonian $P^{-}$, is proposed. This canonical quantization is applied for the free electromagnetic fields and for the fields generated by electric and magnetic external currents. The covariant form of photon propagators, which agrees with Schwinger's source theory, is achieved when the direct interaction of ext…
Conformally gauge-fixed Polyakov D1 brane action is seen to be a constrained sys tem in the sense of Dirac when it is considered on the light-front in contrast t o the case when it is consdired in the instant-form. The model is quantized usin g the standard constraint quantization techniques on the light-front.
We study the structure of scalar field light front quantization vacuum graphs. In instant time quantization both non-vacuum and vacuum graphs can equivalently be described by either the off-shell four-dimensional Feynman diagram approach or the on-shell three-dimensional Fock space approach, with this being the case since the relevant Feynman diagrams are given entirely by pole terms. This is also the case for light front quantization non-vacuum graphs. However this is the not the case for light front vacuum sector diagrams, since then there are also circle at infinity contributions to Feynman…
Transverse force tomography inside a proton from Basis Light-front Quantization
Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院近代物理研究所）；School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学技术大学核科学与技术学院）
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.
Issues that are specific for formulating fermions in light-cone quantization are discussed. Special emphasis is put on the use of parity invariance in the non-perturbative renormalization of light-cone Hamiltonians.
We study a noncanonical Hilbert space representation of the polymer quantum mechanics. It is shown that Heisenberg algebra get some modifications in the constructed setup from which a generalized uncertainty principle will naturally come out. Although the extracted physical results are the same as those obtained from the standard canonical representation, the noncanonical representation may be notable in view of its possible connection with the generalized uncertainty theories suggested by string theory. In this regard, by considering an Snyder-deformed Heisenberg algebra we show that since th…
The spontaneous symmetry breaking (and Higgs) mechanism in the theory quantized on the light-front ({\it l.f.}), in the {\it discretized formulation}, is discussed. The infinite volume limit is taken to obtain the {\it continuum version}. The hamiltonian formulation is shown to contain a new ingredient in the form of nonlocal {\it constraint eqs.} which lead to a {\it nonlocal l.f. Hamiltonian}. The description of the broken symmetry here has the same physical content as in the conventional formulation though arrived at through a different mechanism.
Within the frame of a Group Approach to Quantization anomalies arise in a quite natural way. We present in this talk an analysis of the basic obstructions that can be found when we try to translate symmetries of the Newton equations to the Quantum Theory. They fall into two classes: algebraic and topologic according to the local or global character of the obstruction. We present here one explicit example of each.
Hamiltonian light-front quantum field theory provides a framework for calculating both static and dynamic properties of strongly interacting relativistic systems. Invariant masses, correlated parton amplitudes and time-dependent scattering amplitudes, possibly with strong external time-dependent fields, represent a few of the important applications. By choosing the light-front gauge and adopting an orthonormal basis function representation, we obtain a large, sparse, Hamiltonian matrix eigenvalue problem for mass eigenstates that we solve by adapting ab initio no-core methods of nuclear many-b…
