Field theory on the light-front

Abstract: We present a general framework to study relativistic compound systems in a Hamiltonian formalism. This formalism is based on the explicitly covariant formulation of light-front dynamics, with a decomposition of the state vector in Fock components. In order to be able to make definite predictions order by order in the truncation of the Fock expansion, we use an appropriate Fock sector dependent renormalization scheme. Our covariant formulation enables us to have a strict control of any violation of rotational invariance due to the choice of a given orientation of the light-front plane. This is mandatory in order to define the necessary renormalization conditions, and hence to be able to calculate physical observables. We emphasize the role played by antiparticle degrees of freedom in order to control, order by order in the Fock expansion, the scale invariance of physical observables. This nonperturbative framework demands also to use an appropriate regularization scheme. We show why the recently proposed Taylor-Lagrange regularization scheme is a very adequate scheme since it can be implemented very naturally, and from a systematic point of view, in light-front dynamics. As a direct application of this general framework, we settle the basis for a new formulation of chiral effective field theory in the baryonic sector based on light-front dynamics and a Fock decomposition of the state vector.