Light-cone behavior of the pion Bethe-Salpeter wave function in the ladder model

Abstract

The Bethe-Salpeter wave function χ(q^ν+P^ν, q^ν) for two spin-½ quarks bound by the exchange of a scalar meson is examined in the ladder model. We seek the behavior of χ as the squared momentum, (q+P)^2, on one leg becomes infinite while the squared momentum, q^2, on the other leg remains fixed. This behavior is investigated by making a Wick rotation, expanding χ in partial-wave amplitudes χ^i_J(q^2) of the group O(4), and then looking for the rightmost poles of χ^i_J(q^2) in the complex J plane. Our results verify (in the ladder model) the useful hypothesis that the locations of these poles are independent of q^2 and can thus be computed in the q^2→∞ limit by using conformal invariance.