The pion form factor at timelike momentum transfers in a dispersion approach

Abstract

We consider a model with $ρππ$, $ρKK$, and gauge-invariant $ργ$ couplings and obtain the pion form factor $F_π$ at timelike momentum transfers by resummation of pion and kaon loops. We use a dispersion representation for the loop diagrams and analyse ambiguities related to subtraction constants. The resulting representation for $F_π$ is shown to have the form of the conventional vector meson dominance formula with one important distinction - the effective $ρ$-meson decay constant $f^{\rm eff}_ρ$ turns out to depend on the momentum transfer. For the electromagnetic pion form factor we include in addition the $ρ-ω$ mixing effects. We apply the representations obtained to the analysis of the data on the pion form factors from $e^+e^-$ annihilation and $τ$ decay and extract the $ρ^-$, $ρ^0$ and $ω$ masses and coupling constants.