The pion form factor from first principles

Abstract

We calculate the electromagnetic form factor of the pion in quenched lattice QCD. The non-perturbatively improved Sheikoleslami-Wohlert lattice action is used together with the ${\mathcal O}(a)$ improved current. We calculate form factor for pion masses down to $m_\pi = 360 MeV$. We compare the mean square radius for the pion extracted from our form factors to the value obtained from the 'Bethe Salpeter amplitude'. Using (quenched) chiral perturbation theory, we extrapolate our results towards the physical pion mass.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures; proceedings of Hadron03, Aschaffenburg, German