Rigorous methods are used to analyze the asymptotic (large time) behavior of gauge-theory Hamiltonians in the interaction picture. A simple "asymptotic dynamics" for four-dimensional gauge theories is obtained allowing an explicit construction of asymptotic spaces. The structure of these spaces is studied; and in particular one proves that for Abelian theories they contain states with an arbitrary number of particles and antiparticles, whereas for non-Abelian theories either the symmetry is spontaneously broken or the asymptotic space contains no states with observable charges.

• Received 10 April 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.18.4726