Electron-deuteron scattering in the equal-time formalism: beyond the impulse approximation

Abstract

Using a three-dimensional formalism that includes relativistic kinematics, the effects of negative-energy states, approximate boosts of the two-body system, and current conservation, we calculate the electromagnetic form factors of the deuteron up to Q^2 of 4 GeV^2. This is done using a dynamical boost for two-body systems with spin. We first compute form factors in impulse approxmation, but then also add an isoscalar meson-exchange current of pion range that involves the gamma-pi contact operator associated with pseudovector pi-N coupling. We also consider effects of the rho-pi-gamma meson-exchange current. The experimentally measured quantities A, B, and t20 are calculated over the kinematic range probed in recent Jefferson Laboratory experiments. The rho-pi-gamma meson-exchange current provides significant strength in A at large Q^2 and the gamma-pi contact-term exchange current shifts t20, providing good agreement with the JLab data. Relativistic effects and the gamma-pi meson-exchange current do not provide an explanation of the B observable, but the rho-pi-gamma current could help to provide agreement if a nonstandard value is used for the tensor rho-N coupling that enters this contribution.