Search

In recent years we have extended light-front quantization to systems of finite temperature and density, hence providing a novel approach towards nuclear matter under extreme conditions. Light-front field theory is particularly suited, since boost invariance is essential, e.g., for a fireball created in a heavy ion collision. The approach is based on a relativistic Hamiltonian and allows us to treat the perturbative as well as the non-perturbative regime of QCD. Presently, we are in particular interested in few-quark correlations, i.e. quark-antiquark and three-quark correlations. The later ones have hardly been considered in this context, although they should be important as quark matter hadronizes below the critical temperature of the chiral phase transition to form nucleons. To this end we have derived relativistic Faddeev type in-medium equations and investigated the stability of three-quark bound states (nucleons) in hot and dense quark matter. We have used an effective zero-range interaction, and compared our results with the more traditional instant form approach, where applicable. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the properties of qq and qq states in hot and dense quark matter in the framework of light-front finite temperature field theory. Presently we consider the Nambu Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model and derive the gap equation at finite temperature and density. We study pionic and scalar diquark dynamics in quark matter and compute the two-body masses and the Mott dissociation using a t-matrix approach. For the scalar diquark we determine the critical temperature of color superconductivity. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strongly interacting matter such as nuclear or quark matter leads to few-body bound states and correlations of the constituents. As a consequence quantum chromodynamics has a rich phase structure with spontaneous symmetry breaking, superconductivity, condensates of different kinds. All this appears in many astrophysical scenarios. Among them is the formation of hadrons during the early stage of the Universe, the structure of a neutron star, and the formation of nuclei during a supernova explosion. Some of these extreme conditions can be simulated in heavy ion colliders. To treat such a hot and dense system we use the Green function formalism of many-body theory. It turns out that asystematic Dyson expansion of the Green functions leads to modified few-body equations that are capable to describe phase transitions, condensates, cluster formation and more. These equations include self energy corrections and Pauli blocking. We apply this method to nonrelativistic and relativistic matter. The latter one is treated on the light front. Because of the medium and the inevitable truncation of space, the few-body dynamics and states depend on the thermodynamic parameters of the medium. © 2005 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the properties of three-body states in quark matter. Use of a relativistic Faddeev-like equation on the light front; Calculation of the dependence of the three-body mass on the temperature and chemical potential; Determination of the dissociation of the nucleon.