The fourth dimension of the nucleon structure: spacetime analysis of the timelike electromagnetic proton form factors

Abstract

As well known, spacelike proton form factors expressed in the Breit frame may be interpreted as the Fourier transform of static space distributions of electric charge and current. In particular, the electric form factor is simply the Fourier transform of the charge distribution $F(q)=\int e^{i\vec{q}\cdot \vec{r}}\rho (r)d^{3}r$. We don't have an intuitive interpretation of the same level of simplicity for the proton timelike form factor appearing in the reactions $e^{+}{e}^{-}\leftrightarrow \bar{p}p$. However, one may suggest that in the center of mass (CM) frame, where $q_{\mu }{x}^{\mu }=qt$, a timelike electric form factor is the Fourier transform $F(q)=\int e^{iqt}R(t)dt$ of a function $R(t)$ expressing how the electric properties of the forming (or annihilating) proton-antiproton pair evolve in time. Here we analyze in depth this idea, show that the functions $\rho (r)$ and $R(t)$ can be formally written as the time and space integrals of a unique correlation function depending on both time and space coordinates.

8 figures, 15 pages

References in corpus (11)

• Light-Front Dynamics and AdS/QCD Correspondence: The Pion Form Factor in the Space- and Time-Like Regions
• Observation of a near-threshold enhancement in the e+e- -->Lambda_c+Lambda_c- cross section using initial-state radiation
• Dispersion analysis of the nucleon form factors including meson continua
• The electromagnetic form factors of the proton in the timelike region
• Measurement of the proton form factor by studying $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to p\bar{p}$
• Nucleon Electromagnetic Form Factors in the Timelike Region
• Unexpected features of e+e-->ppbar and e+e-->lambda-lambdabar cross sections near threshold
• Periodic interference structures in the time-like proton form factor
• Enhancement of annihilation cross sections by electric interactions between the antineutron and the field of a large nucleus
• Extraction of proton form factors in the timelike region from unpolarized e+e- --> p pbar events
• Extraction of proton form factors in the timelike region from single-polarized e+ e- -> \vec p anti-p events

Cited by in corpus (7)

• New fit of time-like proton electromagnetic form factors from $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ colliders
• Proton Electromagnetic Form Factors in the Time-like Region through the Scan Technique
• Electromagnetic form factors of neutron and neutral stange hyperons in the oscillating view of point
• New insights into the oscillation of the nucleon electromagnetic form factors
• Compared analysis of time-like hyperon form factors
• Antiproton--proton annihilation into light neutral meson pairs within an effective meson theory
• Microscopic parametrization of the near threshold oscillations of the nucleon time-like effective electromagnetic form factors