Form factors in the "point form" of relativistic quantum mechanics: single and two-particle currents

Abstract

Electromagnetic and Lorentz-scalar form factors are calculated for a bound system of two spin-less particles exchanging a zero-mass scalar particle. Different approaches are considered including solutions of a Bethe-Salpeter equation, a ``point form'' approach to relativistic quantum mechanics and a non-relativistic one. The comparison of the Bethe-Salpeter results, which play the role of an ``experiment'' here, with the ones obtained in ``point form'' in single-particle approximation, evidences sizable discrepancies, pointing to large contributions from two-body currents in the latter approach. These ones are constructed using two constraints: ensuring current conservation and reproducing the Born amplitude. The two-body currents so obtained are qualitatively very different from standard ones. Quantitatively, they turn out not to be sufficient to remedy all the shortcomings of the ``point form'' form factors evidenced in impulse approximation.