Exclusive Processes in Quantum Chromodynamics: The Form Factors of Baryons at Large Momentum Transfer

Abstract

The form factors of baryons at large momentum transfer are computed in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) to leading order in ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}({Q}^{2})$ and $\frac{{m}^{2}}{{Q}^{2}}$. Asymptotically, we predict ${Q}^{4}{{G}_{M}}^{p}({Q}^{2})\ensuremath{\rightarrow}C{[{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{s}({Q}^{2})]}^{2+\frac{4}{3\ensuremath{\beta}}}$ and $\frac{{{G}_{M}}^{n}}{{{G}_{M}}^{p}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{-}\frac{2}{3}$, where $\ensuremath{\beta}=11\ensuremath{-}(\frac{2}{3}){n}_{\mathrm{flavor}}$ and $C>0$. Form factors for processes in which the baryon helicity is changed or in which the initial or final baryon has helicity greater than 1 are suppressed by factors of $\frac{m}{Q}$. We also give QCD predictions for general exclusive scattering processes at large momentum transfer.