Quark transverse charge densities in the $Δ(1232)$ from lattice QCD

Abstract

We extend the formalism relating electromagnetic form factors to transverse quark charge densities in the light-front frame to the case of a spin-3/2 baryon and calculate these transverse densities for the $Δ(1232)$ isobar using lattice QCD. The transverse charge densities for a transversely polarized spin-3/2 particle are characterized by monopole, dipole, quadrupole, and octupole patterns representing the structure beyond that of a pure point-like spin-3/2 particle. We present lattice QCD results for the $Δ$-isobar electromagnetic form factors for pion masses down to approximatively 350 MeV for three cases: quenched QCD, two-degenerate flavors of dynamical Wilson quarks, and three flavors of quarks using a mixed action that combines domain wall valence quarks and dynamical staggered sea quarks. We extract transverse quark charge densities from these lattice results and find that the $Δ$ is prolately deformed, as indicated by the fact that the quadrupole moment $G_{E2}(0$) is larger than the value -3 characterizing a point particle and the fact that the transverse charge density in a $Δ^+$ of maximal transverse spin projection is elongated along the axis of the spin.

35 pages, 10 figures