The Mandelstam-Leibbrandt Prescription in Light-Cone Quantized Gauge Theories

TL;DR

This paper explores the quantization of gauge theories in light-cone gauge, focusing on the Mandelstam-Leibbrandt prescription, and introduces a dual-null-plane approach to handle spurious singularities, connecting it to existing models.

Contribution

It presents a novel dual-null-plane formalism for light-cone gauge quantization, clarifying the implementation of the Mandelstam-Leibbrandt prescription and linking it to the Schwinger model solution.

Findings

Dual-null-plane formalism addresses spurious singularities effectively.

Connection established between this formalism and the Schwinger model.

Provides insights into gauge theory quantization on characteristic surfaces.

Abstract

Quantization of gauge theories on characteristic surfaces and in the light-cone gauge is discussed. Implementation of the Mandelstam-Leibbrandt prescription for the spurious singularity is shown to require two distinct null planes, with independent degrees of freedom initialized on each. The relation of this theory to the usual light-cone formulation of gauge field theory, using a single null plane, is described. A connection is established between this formalism and a recently given operator solution to the Schwinger model in the light-cone gauge.