abstract: The muon problem of flavor physics presents a rich opportunity to study beyond standard model physics. The as yet undiscovered bound state (μ+μ-), called true muonium, presents a unique opportunity to investigate the muon problem. The near-future experimental searches for true muonium will produce it relativistically, preventing the easy application of non-relativistic quantum mechanics. In this thesis, quantum field theory methods based on light-front quantization are used to solve an effective Hamiltonian for true muonium in the Fock space of |μ+μ-> , |μ+μ-γ> , |e+e->, |e+e-γ>, |τ+τ-> , and |τ+τ-γ> . To facilitate these calculations a new parallel code, True Muonium Solver With Front-Form Techniques (TMSWIFT), has been developed. Using this code, numerical results for the wave functions, energy levels, and decay constants of true muonium have been obtained for a range of coupling constants α. Work is also presented for deriving the effective interaction arising from the |γγ sector’s inclusion into the model. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Physics 2016

Submitted by Cristian Gutierrez (cristian@ift.unesp.br) on 2016-11-25T17:35:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Cristian_Gutierrez_PhD_Thesis.pdf: 2056100 bytes, checksum: 98402a9e05e7c393491419def7ff3ca9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-11-30T13:24:29Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 gutierrezgomez_cl_dr_ift.pdf: 2056100 bytes, checksum: 98402a9e05e7c393491419def7ff3ca9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-30T13:24:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gutierrezgomez_cl_dr_ift.pdf: 2056100 bytes, checksum: 98402a9e05e7c393491419def7ff3ca9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O trabalho apresentado nessa tese foi dedicado em explorar soluções de estado ligado para a equação de Bethe-Salpeter, obtidas diretamente no espaço de Minkowski. Para isso, consideramos um procedimento que combina a representação integral de Nakanishi para a amplitude Bethe-Salpeter, desenvolvido por N. Nakanishi na década de sessenta, em conjunto com a projeção da amplitude de Bethe-Salpeter no plano nulo, também conhecida como a projeção na frente de luz. Este método, além de permitir calcular as energias de ligação, que são acessíveis a partir de cálculos bem conhecidos no espaço Euclidiano, permite que se obtenha a amplitude Bethe-Salpeter no espaço de Minkowski e a função de onda de valência na frente de luz. A verificação da validade desse procedimento foi confirmada através de comparação da amplitude de Bethe-Salpeter obtida diretamente no espaço Euclidiano com a amplitude correspondente derivada da equação de Bethe-Salpeter, usando a representação integral de Nakanishi, uma vez a rotação de Wick é realizada. O sucesso dessa abordagem, quando aplicado ao problema do estado ligado de duas partículas escalares trocando uma outra partícula escalar no estado fundamental, assim como o estudo correspondente no limite de energia zero, nos motivou a ampliar a aplicação do procedimento para o estudo de outros problemas de interesse. Em particular, o método foi estendido para o estudo de sistemas com duas dimensões espaciais e uma temporal (2+1), considerando o interesse crescente que surgiu em Física da matéria condensada, onde podemos destacar o caso de elétrons de Dirac no grafeno. Nessa análise preliminar, nos restringimos ao modelo escalar que nos permitiu acessar as principais dificuldades que deverão ser enfrentadas ao estudar o problema do estado ligado entre dois férmions. Dessa forma, este tratamento pode ser considerado como um primeiro passo para a implementação de um método mais realístico em um problema fermiônico. Os cálculos anteriores que consideramos em nossos estudos foram realizados através da aproximação de escada para o kernel de interação irredutível para os estados de onda-s. Portanto, uma das extensões que exploramos nesta tese foi o efeito de se introduzir a contribuição de ordem seguinte no kernel de interação, conhecida como a contribuição de escada-cruzada (cross-ladder). Os efeitos nas energias de ligação e na função de onda na frente de luz é foram analisados de forma detalhada, através dos resultados apresentados. Um estudo particularmente interessante, que foi extensivamente estudado nesta tese, se refere ao problema do espectro da equação Bethe-Salpeter para o estado ligado escalar-escalar. O espectro de estados excitados foi obtido com a abordagem da representação integral Nakanishi, sendo comparado com o obtido no espaço Euclidiano. Além disso, as raçoes excitado/fundamental do espectro relativístico foram reduzidas para às não-relativístico através da escolha de energias de ligação pequenas e considerando a massa do bóson trocado sendo próxima de zero. A função de onda de valência na frente de luz e a função de onda no parâmetro de impacto são apresentadas mostrando as principais características dos estados excitados conhecidos da estrutura não relativística. Na análise do espectro, também são estudadas as amplitudes de momentum-transverso para o estado fundamental e o primeiro estado excitado, que podem ser obtidos, de forma equivalente, no espaço de Minkowski assim como no espaço Euclidiano. Finalmente, focamos o estudo nos fatores de forma eletromagnéticos elásticos na abordagem da Bethe-Salpeter. Consciente de que o cálculo correto dos fatores de forma deve ser feito no espaço de Minkowski, o fator de forma elástico foi calculado levando-se em consideração a aproximação de impulso padrão. Além disso, foi também estudado o efeito da contribuição de ordem superior no fator de forma. / The work presented in this thesis was dedicated in exploring bound-state solutions of the Bethe-Salpeter equation directly in the Minkowski space. For that, we consider a method that combines the Nakanishi integral representation for the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude, developed by Noboru Nakanishi in the sixties, together with the projection of the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude onto the null-plane, also known as the light-front projection. This approach, besides of allowing to compute the binding energies, which are accessible from the usual Euclidean calculation, enables to obtain the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude in the Minkowski space and the light-front wave function. The feasibility of such an approach is further verified by comparing the Bethe-Salpeter amplitude obtained directly in the Euclidean space with the corresponding amplitude obtained by solving the Bethe-Salpeter equation, using the Nakanishi integral representation, once the Wick rotation is performed to this latter. The success of the approach when applied to study the bound state problem of two-scalar particles exchanging another scalar particle in the ground state, as well as the corresponding study at the zero-energy limit, has encouraged us to extend this method to another interesting problems. In particular, we start by extending the method to study problems in (2+1) dimensions due to the increasing interest in the condensed-matter physics, like the study of Dirac electrons in graphene. In this initial examination we restrict to the scalar model, which enables us to access to the main difficulties that we will face when studying the fermion-fermion bound state problem. Hence, this calculation can be considered as the first step towards the implementation of the method to real fermionic problems. The previous calculations have been performed by considering the ladder approximation for the irreducible interacting kernel for s-wave states. Therefore, one of the extensions that is explored in this thesis is the effect of introducing the next contribution in the interacting kernel, known as the scalar-scalar cross-ladder contribution. The effects in the eigenvalues and the light-front wave functions are analyzed in detail, by considering the computed results. A particular interesting subject, extensively studied in this thesis, is concerned to the spectrum of the Bethe-Salpeter equation for the scalar-scalar bound-state problem. The spectrum of excited states obtained with the Nakanishi integral representation approach is compared with that obtained in the Euclidean calculation. Besides, the ratio energies excited/ground of the relativistic spectrum is reduced to the non-relativistic one by choosing small binding energies and the mass of the exchanged boson approaching to zero. The valence light-front wave function and the impact-parameter space valence wave function are displayed, revealing the main features of excited states known from the non-relativistic framework. In the analysis of the spectrum, we also studied the transverse-momentum amplitudes for the ground and first-excited state, which can be equivalently obtained in the Minkowski or Euclidean spaces. Finally, we focus on the study of electromagnetic elastic form factors within the Bethe-Salpeter approach. Aware that the correct calculation of form factors should be performed in the Minkowski space, the calculation of the elastic form factor is carried out with the standard impulse approximation and in addition the effect of the next contribution to the form factor is studied.

NIL

Dominated by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, vacuum is not quantum mechanically an empty void, i.e. virtual pairs of particles appear and disappear persistently. This nonlinearity subsequently provokes a number of phenomena which can only be practically observed by going to a high-intensity regime. Pair production beyond the so-called Sauter-Schwinger limit, which is roughly the field intensity threshold for pairs to show up copiously, is such a nonlinear vacuum phenomenon. From the viewpoint of Dirac's front form of Hamiltonian dynamics, however, vacuum turns out to be trivial. This triviality would suggest that Schwinger pair production is not possible. Of course, this is only up to zero modes. While the instant form of relativistic dynamics has already been at least theoretically well-played out, the way is still open for investigating the front form. The aim of this thesis is to explore the properties of such a contradictory aspect of quantum vacuum in two different forms of relativistic dynamics and hence to investigate the possibility of finding a way to resolve this ambiguity. This exercise is largely based on the application of field quantization to light-front dynamics. In this regard, some concepts within strong field theory and light-front quantization which are fundamental to our survey have been introduced, the order of magnitude of a few important quantum electrodynamical quantities have been fixed and the basic information on a small number of nonlinear vacuum phenomena has been identified. Light-front quantization of simple bosonic and fermionic systems, in particular, the light-front quantization of a fermion in a background electromagnetic field in (1+1) dimensions is given. The light-front vacuum appears to be trivial also in this particular case. Amongst all suggested methods to resolve the aforementioned ambiguity, the discrete light-cone quantization (DLCQ) method is applied to the Dirac equation in (1+1) dimensions. Furthermore, the Tomaras-Tsamis-Woodard (TTW) solution, which expresses a method to resolve the zero-mode issue, is also revisited. Finally, the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics is discussed and, as an alternative to TTW solution, it is proposed that the worldline approach in the light-front framework may shed light on different aspects of the TTW solution and give a clearer picture of the light-front vacuum and the pair production phenomenon on the light-front.

Le schéma de régularisation de Taylor-Lagrange (TLRS) est basé sur la définition des champs en tant que distributions à valeurs d'opérateurs (OPVD). L'expression de ces OPVD implique des fonctions test qui, grâce à leurs propriétés (propriétés d'échelles, super-régularité), permettent d'étendre des distributions singulières à tout l'espace. Ce type de régularisation, que l'on peut qualifier de coupure ultra-douce, est efficace quelque soit le degré de divergence originel et produit des amplitudes finies dépendant d'une échelle intrinsèque sans dimensions. Enfin, ce schéma préserve les symétries du groupe de Poincaré et l'invariance de jauge. Après avoir présenté le formalisme TLRS, celui-ci est appliqué au calcul des corrections radiatives en QED ainsi qu'à celles à la masse du boson de Higgs dans le cadre du modèle standard de la physique des particules. Dans une dernière partie, il est appliqué au modèle de Yukawa dans le cadre de la dynamique sur le front de lumière. Les corrections radiatives et un calcul non-perturbatif d'états liés sont effectués. Ces exemples permettent de vérifier, d'une part, l'applicabilité de ce schéma dans différents cas, et d'autre part, de tester son respect des propriétés de symétrie des théories. / The Taylor-Lagrange regularization scheme (TLRS) is based on the definition of fields as operator valued distributions (OPVD). The expression of these OPVDs implies test functions which, thanks to their properties (scaling properties, super-regularity), allow to extend singular distributions to the whole space. This type of regularization, which could be qualified as an ultra-soft cut-off, is efficient for any order of divergences and produces finite amplitudes depending on an intrinsic dimensionless scale. Finally, this scheme respects the Poincaré group symmetries as well as gauge invariance. After an introduction to the TLRS, it is applied to the calculation of radiative corrections to QED and to the mass of the Higgs boson within the standard model of particle physics. In a last section, it is applied to the Yukawa model using the framework of light front dynamics. Radiative corrections and non-perturbative bound state are calculated. This examples allow to verify, on one hand, the applicability of the TLRS, and on the other hand to test its respect of the symmetry properties of the theories.

Cette thèse porte sur le calcul des états liés et de diffusion de systèmes à deux corps dans une formulation explicitement covariante de la dynamique sur le front de lumière. Nous traitons dans ce cadre deux particules scalaires en interaction à l'approximation "ladder" (modèle de Wick-Cutkosky massif). Les états liés sont calculés (onde S et P) par une décomposition angulaire du potentiel. Nous montrons que la restriction de cette décomposition à sa première composante suffit pour décrire correctement le système, ce qui revient à approximer le potentiel par sa moyenne sur toutes les directions du front de lumière. Ce résultat facilite le traitement des états de diffusion. Nous calculons donc des déphasages élastiques (onde S et P). Or notre potentiel relativiste prend en compte l'ouverture d'un canal inélastique au-delà du seuil de création. Nous calculons donc des déphasages correspondant à l'émision d'un boson, qui violent cependant l'unitarité de la matrice S. La prise en compte la self-énergie permet de résoudre ce problème comme nous montrons par un calcul perturbatif. L'ajout de la self-énergie permet d'obtenir des déphasages inélastique respectant l'unitarité de S. Nous montrons aussi que la self-énergie modifie considérablement les conditions d'existence d'états liés. Nous considérons aussi le cas des deux fermions en interaction par un échange scalaire ou pseudo-scalaire (état $J^\pi=0^+$). Les états liés sont traités par une décomposition angulaire, mais la propriété de moyenne n'apparaît pas pour le couplage pseudo-scalaire. Elle apparaît pour le couplage scalaire, ce qui nous permet de calculer des déphasages élastiques et inélastiques à l'approximation ladder. Abstract : This thesis concerns the two-body scattering and bound states in an explicitly covariant formulation of the light-front dynamics. We consider, in this framework, two scalar particles in interaction at the "ladder" approximation (massive Wick-Cutkosky model). S and P-waves bound states are calculated by an angular decomposition of the potential. We show that the first term of the decomposition gives already a very good description of the system, what is equivalent to take an averaged potential over the light-front directions. This results simplifies the treatment of the scattering states. We obtain the elastics phase shifts (S and P waves). Yet our relativistic potential take into account the first inelastic threshold, what corresponds to the one boson emission. These phase shifts do not respects the S-matrix unitarity. We show by a perturbative calculation that the addition of self-energy contributions permits to solve this problem. Adding this term, allows to obtain an inelastic phase-shift respecting S-matrix unitarity. We show also that the self-energy contribution strongly modifies the conditions of existence of a bound state. We consider also two fermions interacting by a scalar or pseudoscalar exchange ($J^\pi=0^+$ state). The bound states are calculated by the angular decomposition method, that works well here but fails in the pseudoscalar coupling. The average method is finally used to calculate the scattering states in the ladder approximation fo the scalar coupling.