On the Formulation of Relativistic Hadron Couplings

Abstract

The problem of relativistic structure of hadronic matrix elements has acquired renewed interest in recent times, in the wake of the so-called Melosh transformation.¹ The Melosh approach has, among other things, focussed attention on the need for a broader logical and conceptual framework for a clearer understanding of several empirical recipes which have proved highly successful in accounting for many hadronic phenomena. Especially interesting is the natural understanding it provides for the quark recoil effect, or the $^3{P_0}Q\bar Q$ pair mechanism, which provides a successful description of s-wave decays, anti-SU(6)_w signs, etc.²⁾ On the other hand, the Melosh approach does not, without additional input (by way of free parametrization), provide a quantitative handle on hadronic matrix elements. In other words, while the Melosh theory provides formally indentical algebraic structures to what the more empirical approaches yield, its correlative powers none the less remain severely limited. Therefore, this theory does not by itself obviate the need for more concrete theories which, while respecting the Melosh features, should nevertheless make unambiguous and verifiable predictions on a wide variety of hadronic phenomena without extra parametrization along the way.

This paper was submitted to the Workshop by Professor A. N. Mitra, who was in the end unable to be present at this Meeting.