COVARIANT LIGHT-FRONT MODEL OF HEAVY MESONS WITHIN HEAVY-QUARK EFFECTIVE THEORY

In this paper we construct a covariant light-front model of heavy meso ns within the framework of heavy quark effective theory (HQET). The co variant model consists of the light-front heavy meson bound states con structed in the heavy quark limit with heavy quark symmetry and heavy quark effective theory as its basis. Within this model, the Isgur-Wise function and decay constants in the infinite quark mass limit can be evaluated in a very simple and most general way. The results are ensur ed to be consistent with heavy quark symmetry. From the heavy-quark-li mit bound states, we can further develop a systematic approach to calc ulate 1/m(Q) corrections from the 1/m(Q) expansion of QCD. This covari ant model can serve as a quasi-first-principles description of heavy m eson dynamics, namely, a phenomenological covariant bound state in the heavy quark limit which is consistent with heavy quark symmetry, plus a reliable first-principles computation of the 1/m(Q) corrections in HQET in terms of the 1/m(Q) expansion of the fundamental QCD theory.