Real Compton Scattering via Color Dipoles

We study photoabsorption reaction and real Compton scattering (RCS) within the color dipole model. We rely on a photon wave function derived in the instanton vacuum model, and on the energy dependent phenomenological elastic dipole amplitude. Data for the photoabsorption cross section at high energies agree with our parameter free calculations. We also provide predictions for the differential RCS cross section. Although no data for small angle Compton scattering are available so far, this process can be measured in ultra-peripheral hadronic and nuclear collisions at the LHC.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures. Some statements clarified, bibliographic inaccuracy correcte

QCD factorizations in gamma* gamma* -> rho rho

We calculate the lowest order QCD amplitude, i.e. the quark exchange contribution, to the forward production amplitude of a pair of longitudinally polarized $\rho$ mesons in the scattering of two virtual photons $\gamma^*(Q_1) \gamma^*(Q_2) \to \rho^0_L \rho^0_L$. We show that the scattering amplitude simultaneously factorizes in two quite different ways: the part with transverse photons is described by the QCD factorization formula involving the generalized distribution amplitude of two final $\rho$ mesons, whereas the part with longitudinally polarized photons takes the QCD factorized form with the $\gamma^*_L \to \rho^0_L$ transition distribution amplitude. Perturbative expressions for these, in general, non-perturbative functions are obtained in terms of the $\rho-$meson distribution amplitude

Generalized parton distributions of the pion in a Bethe-Salpeter approach

We calculate generalized parton distribution functions in a field theoretic formalism using a covariant Bethe-Salpeter approach for the determination of the bound-state wave function. We describe the procedure in an exact calculation in scalar Electrodynamics proving that the relevant corrections outside our scheme vanish. We extend the formalism to the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model, a realistic theory of the pion. We go in both cases beyond all previous calculations and discover that all important features required by general physical considerations, like symmetry properties, sum rules and the polynomiality condition, are explicitly verified. We perform a numerical study of their behavior in the weak and strong coupling limits.Comment: 19 pages, 21 eps figures, accepted for publication in EPJ

Rare decay pi0 -> e+e-: theory confronts KTeV data

Within the dispersive approach to the amplitude of the rare decay pi0 -> e+e- the nontrivial dynamics is contained only in the subtraction constant. We express this constant, in the leading order in (m_e/\Lambda)^2 perturbative series, in terms of the inverse moment of the pion transition form factor given in symmetric kinematics. By using the CELLO and CLEO data on the pion transition form factor given in asymmetric kinematics the lower bound on the decay branching ratio is found. The restrictions following from QCD allow us to make a quantitative prediction for the branching B(pi0 -> e+e-) =(6.2\pm 0.1)*10^{-8} which is 3\sigma below the recent KTeV measurement. We confirm our prediction by using the quark models and phenomenological approaches based on the vector meson dominance. The decays \eta -> l^+l^- are also discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

DVCS via color dipoles: Nonperturbative effects

We study the DVCS amplitude within the color dipole approach. The light-cone wave function of a real photon is evaluated in the instanton vacuum model. Our parameter free calculations are able to describe H1 data, both the absolute values and the $t$-dependences, at medium-high values of $Q^{2}$. The $Q^{2}$ dependence is found to be sensitive to the choice of the phenomenological cross section fitted to DIS data.Comment: 11 pages; references added, bibliographic inaccuracy correcte

Light Cone Sum Rules for gamma* N -> Delta Transition Form Factors

A theoretical framework is suggested for the calculation of gamma* N -> Delta transition form factors using the light-cone sum rule approach. Leading-order sum rules are derived and compared with the existing experimental data. We find that the transition form factors in a several GeV region are dominated by the ``soft'' contributions that can be thought of as overlap integrals of the valence components of the hadron wave functions. The ``minus'' components of the quark fields contribute significantly to the result, which can be reinterpreted as large contributions of the quark orbital angular momentumComment: 38 pages, 10 figures; some typos fixed and references added, to appear in Phys. Rev.

The gluon content of the η\eta and η′\eta^{\prime} mesons and the ηγ\eta\gamma, η′γ\eta^{\prime}\gamma electromagnetic transition form factors

We compute power-suppressed corrections to the \eta\gamma and \eta^{\prime}\gamma transition form factors Q^2F_{\eta(\eta^{\prime})\gamma}(Q^2) arising from the end point regions x \to 0,1 by employing the infrared-renormalon approach. The contribution to the form factors from the quark and gluon content of the \eta,\eta^{\prime} mesons is taken into account using for the \eta-\eta^{\prime} mixing the SU_f(3) singlet \eta_1 and octet \eta_8 basis. The theoretical predictions obtained this way are compared with the corresponding CLEO data and restrictions on the input parameters (Gegenbauer coefficients) B_2^q(\eta_1), B_2^g(\eta_1), and B_2^q(\eta_8) in the distribution amplitudes for the \eta_1,\eta_8 states with one nonasymptotic term are deduced. Comparison is made with the results from QCD perturbation theory.Comment: 25 pages, RevTeX4 used. 9 figures as EPS files. Text significantly changed to include variation of theoretical parameters. Figures modified. Corrected typo in equation (34) and trivial mistake in $\beta_1$-coefficient. References added. Conclusions unchange