Model analysis of the world data on the pion transition form factor

The evolution of neck for the asymmetric system ⁵⁸Fe + ²⁴⁴Pu at E _c.m. = 260 MeV has been studied with the coupled Langevin equations in two-dimensional collective space and the results compared to those obtained with a one-dimensional approach under the frozen assumption. It is found that the coupling between the radial and neck degrees of freedom reduces the drift velocity of neck growth and delays the transition from dinucleus to mononucleus. Besides, the coupling brings the system into a somehow elongated shape when the injection into the asymmetric fission valley takes place, hence, the fusion probability and the relevant evaporation residue (ER) cross-sections decrease. For the system ⁵⁸Fe + ²⁴⁴Pu , the ER cross-sections decrease by about 30% as compared to those obtained under the frozen approximation. Therefore, we may arrive at the conclusion that for the heavy asymmetric systems such as ⁵⁸Fe + ²⁴⁴Pu the coupling between different degrees of freedom has important effects on the evolution from dinucleus to mononucleus and the frozen approximation is basically not satisfied as far as the neck dynamics is concerned. However, as compared to the symmetric reactions, the influence of the neck dynamics on the fusion hindrance factor of heavy systems is much weaker for the asymmetric reactions.     

Compatibility of higher rho-resonances with the pion form factor data

A realistic pion form factor model respecting the usual fundamental principles supplemented by reasonable assumptions is constructed by means of conformai mapping having some specific uniformization properties. The model includes the contributions of higher rho-resonances without any conflict with analyticity, provides a certain flexibility for the asymptotic behaviour and depends just on the physical parameters. The best fit of all existing data is achieved with(770),'(1600) and the asymptoticst ^–3/2. The predicted values of the pion charge radius, P-wave isovector scattering length, as well as theI=J = 1 scattering amplitude at the experimental measurable region coincide with the world averaged data.Dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research.The authors are indebted to Prof. V. A. Meshcheryakov, Dr. S. B. Gerasimov and Dr. D. Krupa for many stimulating and illuminating discussions.     

Constraining the low-energy pion electromagnetic form factor with spacelike data

The pionic contribution to the g-2 of the muon involves a certain integral over the modulus squared of F_π(t), the electromagnetic form factor of the pion. We extend techniques that use cut-plane analyticity properties of F_π(t) in order to account for present day estimates of the pionic contribution and experimental information at a finite number of points in the spacelike region. Using data from several experiments over a large kinematic range for |t|, we find bounds on the expansion coefficients of F_π(t), sub-leading to the charge radius. The value of one of these coefficients in chiral perturbation theory respects these bounds. Furthermore, we present a sensitivity analysis to the inputs. A brief comparison with results in the literature that use observables other than the g-2 and timelike data is presented.     

Optimal bounds for the pion form factor from analyticity and experimental data

Optimal bounds for the pion electromagnetic form factor F(t) below threshold and on the pion mean-square charge radius 〈r_π²〉 = 6F'(0) are derived. Use is made of analyticity arguments and of experimental data on F(t) from e⁺e^? → π⁺π^? as well as e^?p → e^?nπ⁺. The method accounts in an approximate way for the statistical errors of the experimental information. Numerical results for F(t) are calculated for the CEA as well as the DESY electroproduction data.     

An analysis of the new pion form factor data

A form factor F(t) for the pion is constructed which is compatible with analyticity and the data in the space-like and time-like region. For the mean square pion radius 〈r²〉 = (0.46_?0.08^+0.06) fm² is obtained. Typical errors of the extrapolated F(t) are given (e.g. F(t =?8 GeV²/c²) = 0.07_?0.10^+0.04). Assuming F(t) ≈ β/(?t)^α at the end of the space-like data region we obtain β = 0.31, α = 0.81 for t in GeV²/c² together with the error contours of (α, β). No conclusive answer on the existence of zeroes of F(t) can be given.     

On the pion distribution amplitude shape

We argue that the recent BaBar data on γ → π e.m. transition form factor at large photon virtuality supports the idea that pion distribution amplitude (DA) is close to unity with ϕ_π^′(0)/6 ≫ 1 at a normalization point of μ = 0.6–0.8 GeV. Such pion DA can be obtained in the effective chiral quark model. The possible flat shape of the pion DA implies that the standard expansion of the DA in Gegenbauer polynomials can be divergent. On basis of chiral models we predict that the two-pion DA should exhibit anomalous endpoint behaviour for pions in the S-wave and that such feature is absent for higher partial waves. The latter implies that the ρ, f ₂, etc. meson DAs have no anomalous endpoint behaviour. Possible implications of such pion DA for other hard exclusive processes are shortly discussed.     

Asymptotic bounds on pion form factor

A technique recently developed for inelastic electron proton scattering is applied for inelastic electron pion scattering. It is found that all the derivatives of off-shell form factor of pion nears=m _π ² and for largeQ ² are bounded from above, provided that the dispersion relation for the form factor requires no more than one subtraction. The elastic pion form factor is bounded by [lnQ ²] ^c /Q ², wherec is any positive constant.     

Non-locality effects on the pion nucleon form factor

We investigate effects of the non-locality in the elementary pion quark coupling on theπNN form factor in the framework of the chiral bag model. We show that this nonlocality leads to shorter ranged form factors thereby reducing the discrepancy between large bag-model confinement radii and empirically found small-ranged cut-off parameters.     

The pion form factor from lattice QCD with two dynamical flavours

We compute the electromagnetic form factor of the pion, using non-perturbatively O(a) improved Wilson fermions. The calculations are done for a wide range of pion masses and lattice spacings. We check for finite size effects by repeating some of the measurements on smaller lattices. The large number of lattice parameters we use allows us to extrapolate to the physical point. For the square of the charge radius we find fm², in good agreement with experiment. PACS 12.38.Gc; 13.40.Gp; 14.40.-n     

Measurement of the pion axial form factor from radiative decay

The decay π⁺→e⁺νγ has been measured by detecting the positron with a magnetic spectrometer and the photon with an array of NaI scintillators. Using CVC to compute the vector form factor from the π⁰ lifetime we use our data to determine the ratio γ of the axial-vector form factor to the vector form factor. With the best present value for the π⁰ lifetime (0.897±0.022±0.017)×10⁻¹⁶ s and F_V=(2.55 ±0.05)×10⁻² we obtain two solutions: γ=0.52 ±0.06, favored by a likelihood ratio greater than 8.5 against γ=−2.48±0.06.     

Lattice QCD and the timelike pion form factor

We present a formula that allows one to calculate the pion form factor in the timelike region 2m(π) ≤ √(s) ≤ 4m(π) in lattice QCD. The form factor quantifies the contribution of two-pion states to the vacuum polarization. It must be known very accurately in order to reduce the theoretical uncertainty on the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. At the same time, the formula constitutes a rare example where, in a restricted kinematic regime, the spectral function of a conserved current can be determined from Euclidean observables without an explicit analytic continuation.     

Exclusive processes in position space and the pion distribution amplitude

We suggest to carry out lattice calculations of current correlators in position space, sandwiched between the vacuum and a hadron state (e.g. pion), in order to access hadronic light-cone distribution amplitudes (DAs). In this way the renormalization problem for composite lattice operators is avoided altogether, and the connection to the DA is done using perturbation theory in the continuum. As an example, the correlation function of two electromagnetic currents is calculated to the next-to-next-to-leading order accuracy in perturbation theory and including the twist-four corrections. We argue that this strategy is fully competitive with direct lattice measurements of the moments of the DA, defined as matrix elements of local operators, and offers new insight in the space-time picture of hard exclusive reactions. PACS  12.38.-t, 14.20.Dh; 13.40.Gp