Exact resolution of the Baxter equation for reggeized gluon interactions

Abstract

The interaction of reggeized gluons in multi-colour QCD is considered in the Baxter-Sklyanin representation, where the wave function is expressed as a product of Baxter functions Q(lambda) and a pseudo-vacuum state. We find n solutions of the Baxter equation for a composite state of n gluons with poles of rank r in the upper lambda semi-plane and of rank n-1-r in the lower lambda semi-plane (0 leq r leq n-1). These solutions are related by n-2 linear equations with coefficients depending on coth (pi lambda). The poles cancel in the wave function, bilinear combination of holomorphic and anti-holomorphic Baxter functions, guaranteeing its normalizability. The quantization of the intercepts of the corresponding Regge singularities appears as a result of the physical requirements that the holomorphic energies for all solutions of the Baxter equation are the same and the total energies, calculated around two singularities lambda, lambda^* --> + i or -i, coincide. It results in simple properties of the zeroes of the Baxter functions. For illustration we calculate the parameters of the reggeon states constructed from three and four gluons. For the Odderon the ground state has conformal spin |m -m | = 1 and its intercept equals unity. The ground state of four reggeized gluons possesses conformal spin 2 and its intercept turns out to be higher than that for the BFKL Pomeron. We calculate the anomalous dimensions of the corresponding operators for arbitrary alpha_s/omega.