The work described in this paper is the first step toward a relativistic three-quark bound-state calculation using a Hamiltonian consistent with the Wigner-Bargmann theorem and macroscopic locality. We give an explicit demonstration that we can solve the two-body problem in momentum space with spin-dependent interactions. The form of the potential is a combination of linear+Coulomb+spin-spin+spin-orbit+tensor, which includes confinement and is of the general form consistent with rotation, space-reflection, and time-reversal invariance. A comparison is made with previous calculations using an alternate technique and with the experimental meson mass spectrum. The results obtained suggest that the model is realistic enough to provide a two-body basis for the three quark baryon problem in which the Poincaré group representation is unitary and cluster separability is respected.

• Received 29 October 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.50.5873