Radiative corrections and parity-violating electron-nucleon scattering

Radiative corrections to the parity-violating asymmetry measured in elastic electron-proton scattering are analyzed in the framework of the Standard Model. We include the complete set of one-loop contributions to one quark current amplitudes. The contribution of soft photon emission to the asymmetry is also calculated, giving final results free of infrared divergences. The one quark radiative corrections, when combined with previous work on many quark effects and recent SAMPLE experimental data, are used to place some new constraints on electroweak form factors of the nucleon

Δ\Delta resonance contribution to two-photon exchange in electron-proton scattering

We calculate the effects on the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section of the two-photon exchange contribution with an intermediate $\Delta$ resonance. The $\Delta$ two-photon exchange contribution is found to be smaller in magnitude than the previously evaluated nucleon contribution, with an opposite sign at backward scattering angles. The sum of the nucleon and $\Delta$ two-photon exchange corrections has an angular dependence compatible with both the polarisation transfer and the Rosenbluth methods of measuring the nucleon electromagnetic form factors.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, RevTeX4; more complete discussion of results, conclusions unchanged; to be published in Physical Review Letter

Two-photon exchange and elastic electron-proton scattering

Two-photon exchange contributions to elastic electron-proton scattering cross sections are evaluated in a simple hadronic model including the finite size of the proton. The corrections are found to be small in magnitude, but with a strong angular dependence at fixed $Q^2$. This is significant for the Rosenbluth technique for determining the ratio of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton at high $Q^2$, and partly reconciles the apparent discrepancy with the results of the polarization transfer technique.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, v2: additional references and minor clarifications in text, accepted in Physical Review Letter

Quark-hadron duality constraints on \gamma Z box corrections to parity-violating elastic scattering

We examine the interference \gamma Z box corrections to parity-violating elastic electron--proton scattering in the light of the recent observation of quark-hadron duality in parity-violating deep-inelastic scattering from the deuteron, and the approximate isospin independence of duality in the electromagnetic nucleon structure functions down to Q^2 \approx 1 GeV^2. Assuming that a similar behavior also holds for the \gamma Z proton structure functions, we find that duality constrains the \gamma Z box correction to the proton's weak charge to be \Re e\, \square_{\gamma Z}^V = (5.4 \pm 0.4) \times 10^{-3} at the kinematics of the Q_{\text{weak}} experiment. Within the same model we also provide estimates of the \gamma Z corrections for future parity-violating experiments, such as MOLLER at Jefferson Lab and MESA at Mainz.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures. Final version to be published in Phys. Lett.

The Rarita-Schwinger spin-3/2 equation in a nonuniform, central potential

The equations of motion for a massive spin-3/2 Rarita-Schwinger field in a finite-range, central, Lorentz scalar potential are developed. It is shown that the resulting density may not be everywhere positive definite.Comment: 9 pages, RevTe

Light Front Nuclear Physics: Toy Models, Static Sources and Tilted Light Front Coordinates

The principles behind the detailed results of a light-front mean field theory of finite nuclei are elucidated by deriving the nucleon mode equation using a simple general argument, based on the idea that a static source in equal time coordinates corresponds to a moving source in light front coordinates. This idea also allows us to solve several simple toy model examples: scalar field in a box, 1+1 dimensional bag model, three-dimensional harmonic oscillator and the Hulth\'en potential. The latter provide simplified versions of momentum distributions and form factors of relevance to experiments. In particular, the relativistic correction to the mean square radius of a nucleus is shown to be very small. Solving these simple examples suggests another more general approach-- the use of tilted light front coordinates. The simple examples are made even simpler.Comment: 19 pages, references adde