Abnormal solutions of Bethe--Salpeter equation with massless and massive exchanges

Abstract

We summarize the main properties of the so called ''abnormal solutions'' of the Wick--Cutkosky model, i.e. two massive scalar particles interacting via massless scalar exchange ("photons"), within the Bethe--Salpeter equation. These solutions do not exist in the non-relativistic limit, in spite of having very small binding energies. They present a genuine many-body character dominated by photons, with a norm of the valence constituent wave function (two-body norm) that vanishes in the limit of zero binding energy. We present new results concerning the massive-exchange case, in particular determine under which conditions is it possible to obtain such peculiar solutions without spoiling the model by tachyonic states ($M^2<0$).