NN¯ production in e+e− annihilation near the threshold revisited

Abstract

Production of $p\bar{p}$ and $n\bar{n}$ pairs in $e^{+}e^{-}$ annihilation near the threshold of the process is discussed with account for the new experimental data appeared recently. Since a significant part of these new data was obtained at energies noticeably exceeding the threshold, we also take into account the form factor describing the amplitude of $N\bar{N}$ pair production at small distances. The effective optical potential, which describes a sharp dependence of the $N\bar{N}$ production cross sections near the threshold, consists of the central potential for $S$ and $D$ waves and the tensor potential. These potentials differ for the states with isospin $I=0$ and $I=1$ of $N\bar{N}$ pair. The optical potential describes well $N\bar{N}$ scattering phases, the cross sections of $p\bar{p}$ and $n\bar{n}$ production in $e^{+}e^{-}$ annihilation near the threshold, the electromagnetic form factors $G_{E}$ and $G_{M}$ for protons and neutrons, as well as the cross sections of the processes $e^{+}e^{-}\to6\pi$ and $e^{+}e^{-}\to K^{+}K^{-}\pi^{+}\pi^{-}$.