Eur. Phys. J. A (2006) 27: 1-9
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2005-10193-0

Nuclear Structure and Reactions

Solving Bethe-Salpeter equation in Minkowski space

¹ Lebedev Physical Institute, Leninsky Prospekt 53, 119991, Moscow, Russia
² Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et Cosmologie, 53 avenue des Martyrs, 38026, Grenoble, France

Received: 16 August 2005
Accepted: 6 January 2006
Published online: 26 January 2006

Abstract

We develop a new method of solving the Bethe-Salpeter (BS) equation in Minkowski space. It is based on projecting the BS equation on the light-front (LF) plane and on the Nakanishi integral representation of the BS amplitude. This method is valid for any kernel given by the irreducible Feynman graphs. For massless ladder exchange, our approach reproduces analytically the Wick-Cutkosky equation. For massive ladder exchange, the numerical results coincide with the ones obtained by Wick rotation.