English

Electron-deuteron scattering in the equal-time formalism: beyond the impulse approximation

Nuclear Theory 2009-04-17 v3

Abstract

Using a three-dimensional formalism that includes relativistic kinematics, the effects of negative-energy states, approximate boosts of the two-body system, and current conservation, we calculate the electromagnetic form factors of the deuteron up to Q^2 of 4 GeV^2. This is done using a dynamical boost for two-body systems with spin. We first compute form factors in impulse approxmation, but then also add an isoscalar meson-exchange current of pion range that involves the gamma-pi contact operator associated with pseudovector pi-N coupling. We also consider effects of the rho-pi-gamma meson-exchange current. The experimentally measured quantities A, B, and t20 are calculated over the kinematic range probed in recent Jefferson Laboratory experiments. The rho-pi-gamma meson-exchange current provides significant strength in A at large Q^2 and the gamma-pi contact-term exchange current shifts t20, providing good agreement with the JLab data. Relativistic effects and the gamma-pi meson-exchange current do not provide an explanation of the B observable, but the rho-pi-gamma current could help to provide agreement if a nonstandard value is used for the tensor rho-N coupling that enters this contribution.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.nucl-th/0411092,
  title  = {Electron-deuteron scattering in the equal-time formalism: beyond the impulse approximation},
  author = {D. R. Phillips and S. J. Wallace and N. K. Devine},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:nucl-th/0411092},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

15 pages, 10 figures. (v2) Added references on rho-pi-gamma current as well as comparison to recent Novosibirsk data on T20. Implemented \includegraphics in place of \BoxedEPSF. (v3) Modified in order to clarify the nature of the boost we implemented for particles with spin. Other minor changes. Version to be published in Physical Review C

R2 v1 2026-07-22T18:32:58.587Z