Meson-Photon Transition Form Factors in the Charmonium Energy Range

Abstract

The study of electron-positron collisions at center-of-mass energies corresponding to charmonium production has reached new levels of sensitivity thanks to experiments by the BES and CLEO Collaborations. Final states $\gamma P$, where $P$ is a pseudoscalar meson such as $\pi^0$, $\eta$, and $\eta'$ can arise either from charmonium decays or in the continuum through a virtual photon: $e^+ e^- \to \gamma^* \to \gamma P$. Estimates of this latter process are given at center-of-mass (c.m.) energies corresponding to the $J/\psi(1S)$, $\psi(2S)$, and $\psi(3770)$ resonances.