String Form Factors

Abstract

We compute the cross section for scattering of light string probes by randomly excited closed strings. For high energy probes, the cross section factorizes and can be used to define effective form factors for the excited targets. These form factors are well defined without the need for infinite subtractions and contain information about the shape and size of typical strings. For highly excited strings the elastic form factor can be written in terms of the `plasma dispersion function', which describes charge screening in high temperature plasmas.