Flavor decomposition of the elastic nucleon electromagnetic form factors

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the individual u- and d-quark contributions to the nucleon electromagnetic form factors using recent experimental data, revealing constant ratios and decreasing d-quark form factors at higher momentum transfers.

Contribution

It provides a detailed flavor decomposition of nucleon form factors up to 3.4 GeV2, utilizing new experimental data to enhance understanding of quark contributions.

Findings

u- and d-quark form factor ratios are nearly constant above 1 GeV2

d-quark form factors decrease continuously with increasing Q2

Flavor separation is achieved up to 3.4 GeV2 with recent data

Abstract

The u- and d-quark contributions to the elastic nucleon electromagnetic form factors have been determined using experimental data on GEn, GMn, GpE, and GpM. Such a flavor separation of the form factors became possible up to 3.4 GeV2 with recent data on GEn from Hall A at JLab. At a negative four-momentum transfer squared Q2 above 1 GeV2, for both the u- and d-quark components, the ratio of the Pauli form factor to the Dirac form factor, F2/F1, was found to be almost constant, and for each of F2 and F1 individually, the d-quark portions of both form factors drop continuously with increasing Q2.