Observables and quark confinement in the covariant canonical formalism of Yang-Mills theory

A concise criterion for observables in Yang-Mills theory is presented in the framework of covariant canonical field theory. As an example, the symmetric energy-momentum tensor θ_øν is proved to be an observable and its physically meaningful form is clarified. The validity of the “Maxwell-type” equation of motion is established in the physical subspace $\text{V}$_phys defined by the subsidiary condition $\text{Q}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>B</mtext>}}\text{?}\text{phys}\text{〉 = 0}$ (Q_B: BRS charge). Its meaning and consequences are discussed in connection with the notion of observables: especially, all (quasi-) local observables in QCD are shown to be colour singlets and this fact paves the way to quark confinement.