The scalar, vector and tensor form factors for the pion and kaon from lattice QCD

TL;DR

This paper computes scalar, vector, and tensor form factors for pion and kaon using lattice QCD with multiple quark flavors, analyzing their q^2 dependence, radii, and flavor symmetry breaking effects.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive lattice QCD calculation of pion and kaon form factors including excited-state effects and flavor symmetry analysis.

Findings

Form factors computed up to 2.5-3 GeV^2

Scalar and tensor radii extracted

SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking effects observed

Abstract

We present a calculation of the scalar, vector, and tensor form factors for the pion and kaon in lattice QCD. We use an ensemble of two degenerate light, a strange and a charm quark ($N_f=2+1+1$) of maximally twisted mass fermions with clover improvement. The corresponding pion and kaon masses are about 265 MeV and 530 MeV, respectively. The calculation is done in both rest and boosted frames obtaining data for four-vector momentum transfer squared up to $-q^2=2.5$ GeV$^2$ for the pion and 3 GeV$^2$ for the kaon. The excited-states effects are studied by analyzing six values of the source-sink time separation for the rest frame ($1.12-2.23$ fm) and for four values for the boosted frame ($1.12-1.67$ fm). The lattice data are renormalized non-perturbatively and the results for the scheme- and scale-dependent scalar and tensor form factors are presented in the $\overline{\rm MS}$ scheme at a scale of 2 GeV. We apply different parametrizations to describe $q^2$-dependence of the form factors to extract the scalar, vector, and tensor radii, as well as the tensor anomalous magnetic moment. We compare the pion and kaon form factors to study SU(3) flavor symmetry breaking effects. By combining the data for the vector and tensor form factors we also obtain the lowest moment of the densities of transversely polarized quarks in the impact parameter space. Finally, we give an estimate for the average transverse shift in the $y$ direction for polarized quarks in the $x$ direction.