In an explicitly covariant light-front formalism, we analyze transition form factors between pseudoscalar and scalar mesons. Application is performed in case of the $B to f_0(980)$ transition in the full available transfer momentum range $q^2$.
We predict the $mathcal{V} to mathcal{P} gamma$ decay widths and the $mathcal{V} to mathcal{P} gamma^{*}$ transition form factors, where $mathcal{V}=(rho, omega, K^*, phi)$ and $mathcal{P}= (pi,K, eta,eta^prime)$, using spin-improved holographic light-front wavefunctions for the mesons. We find excellent agreement with the available data for both the decay widths and the timelike transition form factors extracted from the leptonic conversion decays $mathcal{V} to mathcal{P} l^+ l^-$.
We calculate the transition form factor between vector and pseudoscalar quarkonia in both the timelike and the spacelike region using light-front dynamics. We investigate the frame dependence of the form factors for heavy quarkonia with light-front wavefunctions calculated from the valence Fock sector. This dependence could serve as a measure for the Lorentz symmetry violation arising from the Fock-space truncation. We suggest using frames with minimal longitudinal momentum transfer for calculations in the valence Fock sector, namely the Drell-Yan frame for the space-like region and a specific longitudinal frame for the timelike region; at $q^2=0$ these two frames give the same result. We also use the transition form factor in the timelike region to investigate the electromagnetic Dalitz decay $psi_Ato psi_B l^+l^-$ ($l = e,mu$) and predict the effective mass spectrum of the lepton pair.
We study the radiative transitions between vector and pseudoscalar quarkonia in the light-front Hamiltonian approach, and investigate the effects of using different current component and different reference frames. In practical calculations with truncated Fock spaces, transition form factors may acquire current component dependence and frame dependence, and such dependences could serve as a measure for the Lorentz symmetry violation. We suggest using the transverse current with $m_j=0$ state of the vector meson, since this procedure employs the dominant spin components of the light-front wavefunctions and is more robust in practical calculations. We calculate the transition form factor between vector and pseudoscalar quarkonia and investigate the frame dependence with light-front wavefunctions calculated from the valence Fock sector. We suggest using frames with minimal longitudinal momentum transfer for calculations in the valence Fock sector, namely the Drell-Yan frame for the space-like region and a specific longitudinal frame for the timelike region; at $q^2=0$ these two frames give the same result.
We obtain the distribution amplitude (DA) of the pion from its light-front wave functions in the basis light-front quantization framework. This light-front wave function of the pion is given by the lowest eigenvector of a light-front effective Hamiltonian consisting a three-dimensional confinement potential and the color-singlet Nambu--Jona-Lasinion interaction both between the constituent quark and antiquark. The quantum chromodynamics (QCD) evolution of the DA is subsequently given by the perturbative Efremov-Radyushkin-Brodsky-Lepage evolution equation. Based on this DA, we then evaluate the singly and doubly virtual transition form factors in the space-like region for $pi^0rightarrow gamma^*gamma$ and $pi^0rightarrow gamma^*gamma^*$ processes using the hard-scattering formalism. Our prediction for the pion-photon transition form factor agrees well with data reported by the Belle Collaboration. However, in the large $Q^2$ region it deviates from the rapid growth reported by the BaBar Collaboration. Meanwhile, our result on the $pi^0rightarrow gamma^*gamma^*$ transition form factor is also consistent with other theoretical approaches and agrees with the scaling behavior predicted by perturbative QCD.
We investigate the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon in the framework of basis light front quantization. We compute the form factors using the light front wavefunctions obtained by diagonalizing the effective Hamiltonian consisting of the holographic QCD confinement potential, the longitudinal confinement, and a one-gluon exchange interaction with fixed coupling. The electromagnetic radii of the nucleon are also computed.