Feynman versus Bakamjian-Thomas in Light Front Dynamics

Abstract

We compare the Bakamjian-Thomas (BT) formulation of relativistic few-body systems with light front field theories that maintain closer contact with Feynman diagrams. We find that Feynman diagrams distinguish Melosh rotations and other kinematical quantities belonging to various composite subsystem frames that correspond to different loop integrals. The BT formalism knows only the rest frame of the whole composite system, where everything is evaluated.