Bethe-Salpeter study of vector meson masses and decay constants - art. no.055214

The masses and decay constants of the light vector mesons rho/omega, phi, a nd K* are studied within a ladder-rainbow truncation of the coupled Dyson-S chwinger and Bethe-Salpeter equations of QCD with a model two-point gluon f unction. The approach is consistent with quark and gluon confinement, repro duces the correct one-loop renormalization group behavior of QCD, generates dynamical chiral symmetry breaking, and pre serves the relevant Ward ident ities. The one phenomenological parameter and two current quark masses are fixed by requiring that the calculated f(pi), m(pi), and m(K) are correct. The resulting f(K) is within 3% of the experimental value. For the vector m esons, all eight transverse covariants are included and the dominant ones a re identified; the complete angle dependence of the amplitudes is also reta ined. The calculated values for the masses m(rho), m(phi), and m(K*) are wi thin 5%, while the decay constants f(rho), f(phi), and f(K*) for electromag netic and leptonic decays are within 10% of the experimental values. [S0556 -2813(99)04511-2].