Role of diquark correlations and the pion cloud in nucleon elastic form factors

Electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon in the space-like region are investigated within the framework of a covariant and confining Nambu-Jona-Lasinio model. The bound state amplitude of the nucleon is obtained as the solution of a relativistic Faddeev equation, where diquark correlations appear naturally as a consequence of the strong coupling in the colour $\bar{3}$ $qq$ channel. Pion degrees of freedom are included as a perturbation to the "quark-core" contribution obtained using the Poincar\'e covariant Faddeev amplitude. While no model parameters are fit to form factor data, excellent agreement is obtained with the empirical nucleon form factors (including the magnetic moments and radii) where pion loop corrections play a critical role for $Q^2 \lesssim 1\,$GeV$^2$. Using charge symmetry, the nucleon form factors can be expressed as proton quark sector form factors. The latter are studied in detail, leading, for example, to the conclusion that the $d$-quark sector of the Dirac form factor is much softer than the $u$-quark sector, a consequence of the dominance of scalar diquark correlations in the proton wave function. On the other hand, for the proton quark sector Pauli form factors we find that the effect of the pion cloud and axialvector diquark correlations overcomes the effect of scalar diquark dominance, leading to a larger $d$-quark anomalous magnetic moment and a form factor in the $u$-quark sector that is slightly softer than in the $d$-quark sector.Comment: 30 pages and 40 figure

Transverse Momentum Dependent Fragmentation and Quark Distribution Functions from the NJL-jet Model

Using the model of Nambu and Jona-Lasinio to provide a microscopic description of both the structure of the nucleon and of the quark to hadron elementary fragmentation functions, we investigate the transverse momentum dependence of the unpolarized quark distributions in the nucleon and of the quark to pion and kaon fragmentation functions. The transverse momentum dependence of the fragmentation functions is determined within a Monte Carlo framework, with the notable result that the average $P_\perp^2$ of the produced kaons is significantly larger than that of the pions. We also find that has a sizable $z$ dependence, in contrast with the naive Gaussian ansatz for the fragmentation functions. Diquark correlations in the nucleon give rise to a non-trivial flavor dependence in the unpolarized transverse momentum dependent quark distribution functions. The of the quarks in the nucleon are also found to have a sizable $x$ dependence. Finally, these results are used as input to a Monte Carlo event generator for semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS), which is used to determine the average transverse momentum squared of the produced hadrons measured in SIDIS, namely $$. Again we find that the average $P_T^2$ of the produced kaons in SIDIS is significantly larger than that of the pions and in each case \la P_T^2 \ra has a sizable $z$ dependence.Comment: 13 pages, 17 figures, v2: minor revisions to conform with the published version in Phys.Rev.

Effects of charge symmetry breaking on form factors of the pion and kaon

Effects of charge symmetry breaking associated with the $u$ and $d$ quark mass difference in the elastic form factors of the pion and kaon are presented. We use a confining version of the Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model. The pion and kaon are described as a dressed quark and antiquark bound states governed by the Bethe-Salpeter equation, and exhibit the properties of Goldstone bosons, with the pion mass difference given by $m_{\pi^{+}}^2 - m_{\pi^{0}}^2 \propto (m_u -m_d)^2$ as demanded by dynamical chiral symmetry breaking. We found significant charge symmetry breaking effects for realistic current quark mass ratios ($m_u/m_d \sim 0.5$) in the quark electromagnetic form factors of the pion and kaon. We also report the effects of charge symmetry breaking on the parton distribution functions, which are rather smaller than those found in the electromagnetic form factors.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted version for the QNP2018 proceedings, 8th International Conference on Quarks and Nuclear Physics (QNP2018), November 13-17, 2018, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japa