Two-photon exchange contributions to elastic electron-proton scattering cross sections are evaluated in a simple hadronic model including the finite size of the proton. The corrections are found to be small in magnitude, but with a strong angular dependence at fixed $Q^2$. This is significant for the Rosenbluth technique for determining the ratio of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton at high $Q^2$, and partly reconciles the apparent discrepancy with the results of the polarization transfer technique.
We review recent theoretical and experimental progress on the role of two-photon exchange (TPE) in electron-proton scattering at low to moderate momentum transfers. We make a detailed comparison and analysis of the results of competing experiments on the ratio of e+p to e-p elastic scattering cross sections, and of the theoretical calculations describing them. A summary of the current experimental situation is provided, along with an outlook for future experiments.
A detailed study of two-photon exchange in unpolarized and polarized elastic electron--nucleon scattering is presented, taking particular account of nucleon finite size effects. Contributions from nucleon elastic intermediate states are found to have a strong angular dependence, which leads to a partial resolution of the discrepancy between the Rosenbluth and polarization transfer measurements of the proton electric to magnetic form factor ratio, G_E/G_M. The two-photon exchange contribution to the longitudinal polarization transfer P_L is small, whereas the contribution to the transverse polarization transfer P_T is enhanced at backward angles by several percent, increasing with Q^2. This gives rise to a small, ~3% suppression of G_E/G_M obtained from the polarization transfer ratio P_T/P_L at large Q^2. We also compare the two-photon exchange effects with data on the ratio of e^+ p to e^- p cross sections, which is predicted to be enhanced at backward angles. Finally, we evaluate the corrections to the form factors of the neutron, and estimate the elastic intermediate state contribution to the ^3He form factors.
We report new precision measurements of the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section for momentum transfer squared (Q$^2$) up to 15.75~gevsq. These data allow for improved extraction of the proton magnetic form factor at high Q$^2$ and nearly double the Q$^2$ range of direct longitudinal/transverse separated cross sections. A comparison of our results to polarization measurements establishes the presence of hard two-photon exchange in the $e$-$p$ elastic scattering cross section at greater than 95% confidence level for Q$^2$ up to 8 (GeV/c)$^2$.
It is suggested that proton elastic scattering on atomic electrons allows a precise measurement of the proton charge radius. Very small values of transferred momenta (up to four order of magnitude smaller than the ones presently available) can be reached with high probability.
We investigate the effect of two-photon exchange processes upon the rms- and Zemach radii extracted from electron-proton scattering. We find that the changes are small and do not help to explain the discrepancy between experimental and calculated HFS in the hydrogen atom.