Transverse lattice calculation of the pion light-cone wave functions

We calculate the light-cone wave functions of mesons by solving their bound state problem in a coarse transverse lattice gauge theory using discrete light cone quantization. A large-N-c approximation is made and the light-cone Hamiltonian expanded in massive dynamical fields at fixed lattice spacing. In contrast with earlier calculations, we include contributions from states containing many gluonic link fields between the quarks. The Hamiltonian is renormalized by a combination of covariance conditions on bound states and fitting the physical masses M-rho and M-pi, decay constant f(pi), and the string tension sigma. Good covariance is obtained for the lightest 0(-+) state, which we compare with the pion. Many observables can be deduced from its light-cone wave functions. After perturbative evolution, the quark valence structure function is found to be consistent with the experimental pion structure function deduced from Drell-Yan pi-nucleon data in the valence region x>0.5. In addition, the distribution amplitude is consistent with the experimental pion distribution deduced from the pigamma(*)gamma transition form factor and diffractive dissociation. A new observable we calculate is the probability for quark helicity correlation. We predict a 45% probability that the valence-quark helicities are aligned in the pion.