Instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation: Analytic approach for nonvanishing masses of the bound-state constituents

Abstract

The instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation, derived from the general Bethe-Salpeter formalism by assuming that the involved interaction kernel is instantaneous, represents the most promising framework for the description of hadrons as bound states of quarks from first quantum-field-theoretic principles, that is, quantum chromodynamics. Here, by extending a previous analysis confined to the case of bound-state constituents with vanishing masses, we demonstrate that the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation for bound-state constituents with (definitely) nonvanishing masses may be converted into an eigenvalue problem for an explicitly---more precisely, algebraically---known matrix, at least, for a rather wide class of interactions between these bound-state constituents. The advantages of the explicit knowledge of this matrix representation are self-evident.