Pion-photon transition form factor. Living on the QCD frontier

TL;DR

This paper analyzes experimental data on the pion-photon transition form factor using advanced QCD theoretical methods, revealing contrasting behaviors in different meson channels linked to their distribution amplitudes.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive QCD-based analysis of all available data on the pion-photon transition form factor, including higher-order corrections and their implications for meson distribution amplitudes.

Findings

Identifies an antithetic trend between abar data for b3^*b3b1^0 and b3^*b3b5(b7') transition.

Highlights endpoint enhancement and suppression mechanisms in meson distribution amplitudes.

Incorporates next-to-next-to-leading order and twist-six corrections with uncertainty estimates.

Abstract

An analysis of all available data (CELLO, CLEO, \babar) in the range $[1\div 40]$ GeV$^2$ for the pion-photon transition form factor in terms of light-cone sum rules with next-to-leading-order accuracy is discussed, including twist-four contributions and next-to-next-to-leading order and twist-six corrections---the latter two via uncertainties. The antithetic trend between the \babar data for the $\gamma^*\gamma\pi^0$ and those for the $\gamma^*\gamma\eta(\eta')$ transition is pointed out, emphasizing the underlying antagonistic mechanisms: endpoint enhancement for the first and endpoint-suppression for the second---each associated with pseudoscalar meson distribution amplitudes with distinct endpoint characteristics.