We first present an introduction to the theory of hard exclusive processes. We then illustrate this theory by a few selected examples. The last part is devoted to the most recent developments in the asymptotical energy limit.
This is a short review of some hard two-photon processes: $ a) ,,gammagammato {overline P}_1 P_2,,, {overline P}_1 P_2= {pi^+pi^-, K^+ K^-, K_S K_S, pi^opi^o, pi^oeta},, b) ,,gammagammato V_1 V_2,,, V_1 V_2={rho^orho^o, phiphi, omegaphi, omegaomega
}, c) ,,gammagammato {rm baryon-antibaryon}, d) ,,gamma^*gammato P^o,,, P^o={pi^o, eta, eta^prime, eta_c}$. The available experimental data are presented. A number of theoretical approaches to calculation of these processes is described, both those based mainly on QCD and more phenomenological (the handbag model, the diquark model, etc). Some theoretical questions tightly connected with this subject are discussed, in particular: the applications of various types of QCD sum rules, the endpoint behavior of the leading twist meson wave functions, etc.
Baryon-to-meson and baryon-to-photon transition distribution amplitudes (TDAs) arise in the collinear factorized description of a class of hard exclusive reactions characterized by the exchange of a non-zero baryon number in the cross channel. These
TDAs extend the concepts of generalized parton distributions (GPDs) and baryon distribution amplitudes (DAs). In this review we discuss the general properties and physical interpretation of baryon-to-meson and baryon-to-photon TDAs. We argue that these non-perturbative objects are a convenient complementary tool to explore the structure of baryons at the partonic level. We present an overview of hard exclusive reactions admitting a description in terms of TDAs. We discuss the first signals from hard exclusive backward meson electroproduction at JLab with the 6 GeV electron beam and explore further experimental opportunities to access TDAs at JLab@12 GeV, PANDA and J-PARC.
With an appropriate hard scale, exclusive hadronic processes could provide novel information of the internal quark-gluon configurations of hadrons. The availability of 10-20 GeV secondary meson beam in the coming high-momentum beam line of Hadron Hal
l at J-PARC offers an unique opportunity to carry out the measurements of the exclusive hard processes. We address this interesting approach by two possibilities: (a) $pi^- p to K^0 Lambda(1405)$ for the constituent quark structure of $Lambda(1405)$, and (b) exclusive pion-induced Drell-Yan process $pi^- p to gamma^* n to l^+ l^- n$ for the generalized parton distributions (GPDs) of nucleons. Realization of such measurements at J-PARC will open up a new way of accessing the internal quark structure of exotic hadrons and also the nucleon GPDs based on a solid theoretical foundation of perturbative QCD.
The goal of the comprehensive program in Deeply Virtual Exclusive Scattering at Jefferson Laboratory is to create transverse spatial images of quarks and gluons as a function of their longitudinal momentum fraction in the proton, the neutron, and in
nuclei. These functions are the Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) of the target nucleus. Cross section measurements of the Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering (DVCS) reaction {ep -> ep gamma} in Hall A support the QCD factorization of the scattering amplitude for Q^2 > 2 GeV^2. Quasi-free neutron-DVCS measurements on the Deuteron indicate sensitivity to the quark angular momentum sum rule. Fully exclusive H(e,e pgamma) measurements have been made in a wide kinematic range in CLAS with polarized beam, and with both unpolarized and longitudinally polarized targets. Existing models are qualitatively consistent with the JLab data, but there is a clear need for less constrained models. Deeply virtual vector meson production is studied in CLAS. The 12 GeV upgrade will be essential for these channels. The {rho} and {omega} channels reactions offer the prospect of flavor sensitivity to the quark GPDs, while the {phi}-production channel is dominated by the gluon distribution.