Field-theoretical three-body relativistic equations for the multichannel π N <-> γ N <-> π π N <-> γ π N reactions

A new kind of the relativistic three-body equations for the coupled $\pi N$ and $\gamma N$ scattering reactions with the $\pi \pi N$ and $\gamma \pi N$ three particle final states are suggested. These equations are derived in the framework of the standard field-theoretical $S$-matrix approach in the time-ordered three dimensional form. Therefore corresponding relativistic covariant equations are three-dimensional from the beginning and the considered formulation is free of the ambiguities which appear due to a three dimensional reduction of the four dimensional Bethe-Salpeter equations. The solutions of the considered equations satisfy the unitarity condition and are exactly gauge invariant even after the truncation of the of the multiparticle ($n>3$) intermediate states. Moreover the form of these three-body equations does not depend on the choice of the model Lagrangian and it is the same for the formulations with and without quark degrees of freedom. The effective potential of the suggested equations is defined by the vertex functions with two on-mass shell particles. It is emphasized that these INPUT vertex functions can be constructed from experimental data. Special attention is given to the construction of the intermediate on shell and off shell $\Delta$ resonance states. These intermediate $\Delta$ states are obtained after separation of the $\Delta$ resonance pole contributions in the intermediate $\pi N$ Green function. The resulting amplitudes for the $\Delta\Longleftrightarrow N\pi$; $\Delta\Longleftrightarrow N\gamma;$ $% \Delta^{\prime}\Longleftrightarrow \Delta\gamma$ transition have the same structure as the vertex functions for transitions between the on mass shell particle states with spin 1/2 and 3/2.