Abstract
We calculate the next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO) QCD radiative correction to the pion electromagnetic form factor with large momentum transfer. We explicitly verify the validity of the collinear factorization to two-loop order for this observable and obtain the respective IR-finite two-loop hard-scattering kernel in the closed form. The NNLO QCD correction turns out to be positive and significant. Incorporating this new ingredient of correction, we then make a comprehensive comparison between the finest theoretical predictions and numerous data for both space- and timelike pion form factors. Our phenomenological analysis provides a strong constraint on the second Gegenbauer moment of the pion light-cone distribution amplitude obtained from recent lattice QCD studies.
- Received 9 February 2024
- Revised 27 March 2024
- Accepted 12 April 2024
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.201901
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.
Published by the American Physical Society