Pure SU(3) lattice gauge theory using operators and states

Abstract

We study pure SU(3) gauge theory on a large lattice, using Schrodinger's equation. Our approximate solution uses a basis of roughly 1000 states. Gauge invariance is recovered when the color content of the ground state is extrapolated to zero. We are able to identify the gauge invariant excitations that remain when the extrapolation is performed. In the weak coupling limit, we obtain promising results when we compare the excitation energies (masses) to known results, which we derive. We discuss the application of our nonperturbative method to the regime where glueballs are present.