Contribution of meson-exchange currents to the electromagnetic structure of the deuteron at high momentum transfers

Abstract

The leading term of the asymptotic expansion of the contributions of the πNN and ρπγ processes to the electromagnetic form factors of the deuteron at high momentum transfers is calculated. The resulting asymptotic behavior is compared with experimental data obtained at the Thomas Jefferson Laboratory. Constraints on the functional dependence of meson-nucleon vertex functions that ensure a correct asymptotic behavior of deuteron form factors are discussed.