Spin-1 Particles with Light-Front Approach

For the vector sector, i.e, mesons with spin-1, the electromagnetic form factors and anothers observables are calculated with the light-front approach. However, the light-front quantum field theory have some problems, for example, the rotational symmetry breaking. We solve that problem added the zero modes contribuition to the matrix elements of the electromagnetic current, besides the valence contribuition. We found that among the four independent matrix elements of the plus component in the light-front helicity basis only the $0to 0$ one carries zero mode contributions.

Electromagnetic spin-1 form-factor free of zero-modes

The electromagnetic current~$J^+$ for spin-1, is used here to extract the electromagnetic form-factors of a light-front constituent quark model. The charge ($G_0$), magnetic ($G_1$) and quadrupole $G_2$ form factors are calculated using different prescriptions known in the literature, for the combinations of the four independent matrix elements of the current between the polarisations states in the Drell-Yan frame. However, the results for some prescriptions relying only on the valence contribution breaks the rotational symmetry as they violate the angular condition. In the present work, we use some relations between the matrix elements of the electromagnetic current in order to eliminate the breaking of the rotational symmetry, by computing the zero-mode contributions to matrix elements resorting only to the valence ones.

Pion structure in the nuclear medium

Using the light-front pion wave function based on a Bethe-Salpeter amplitude model, we study the properties of the pion in symmetric nuclear matter. The pion model we adopt is well constrained by previous studies to explain the pion properties in vacuum. In order to consistently incorporate the constituent up and down quarks of the pion immersed in symmetric nuclear matter, we use the quark-meson coupling model, which has been widely applied to various hadronic and nuclear phenomena in a nuclear medium with success. We predict the in-medium modifications of the pion lectromagnetic form factor, charge radius and weak decay constant in symmetric nuclear matter.

The photon-pion transition form factor: incompatible data or incompatible models?

The elastic and $gamma to pi$ transition form factors of the pion along with its usual static observables are calculated within a light-front field approach to the constituent quark model. The focus of this exercise in a simple model is on a unified description of all observables with one singly parametrized light-front wave function to detect possible discrepancies in experimental data, in particular the contentious large momentum-squared data on the transition factor as reported by BaBar and Belle. We also discuss the relation of a small to vanishing pion charge radius with an almost constant pion distribution amplitude and compare our results with those obtained in a holographic light-front model.

A combined study of the pions static properties and form factors

We study consistently the pions static observables and the elastic and gamma*gamma -> pi^0 transition form factors within a light-front model. Consistency requires that all calculations are performed within a given model with the same and single adjusted length or mass-scale parameter of the associated pion bound-state wave function. Our results agree well with all extent data including recent Belle data on the gamma*gamma -> pi^0 form factor at large q^2, yet the BaBar data on this transition form factor resists a sensible comparison. We relax the initial constraint on the bound-state wave function and show the BaBar data can partially be accommodated. This, however, comes at the cost of a hard elastic form factor not in agreement with experiment. Moreover, the pion charge radius is about 40% smaller than its experimentally determined value. It is argued that a decreasing charge radius produces an ever harder form factor with a bound-state amplitude difficultly reconcilable with soft QCD. We also discuss why vector dominance type models for the photon-quark vertex, based on analyticity and crossing symmetry, are unlikely to reproduce the litigious transition form factor data.

New physics in B_s^0 -> J/psiphi decays?

After a brief review of B_s^0 - bar B_s^0 oscillations, we discuss the weak decays B_s^0 -> J/psiphi and B_s^0 -> J/psi f_0(980) and the ratio R_{f_0/phi} of their decay rates in the light of recent measurements by the LHCb, D0 and CDF Collaborations. We point out that the experimental values for R_{f_0/phi} impose tight limits on new physics contributions to both decay channels.