Exclusive Photon-Photon Processes

Abstract

Exclusive $γγ\to$ hadron pairs are among the most fundamental processes in QCD, providing a detailed examination of Compton scattering in the crossed channel. In the high momentum transfer domain $(s,t, {large},θ_{cm}$ for $t/s$ fixed), these processes can be computed from first principles in QCD, yielding important information on the nature of the QCD coupling $α_s$ and the form of hadron distribution amplitudes. Similarly, the transition form factors $γ^*γ$, $γ^*γ\to π^0, η^0,η^\prime,η_c ...$ provide rigorous tests of QCD and definitive determinations of the meson distribution amplitudes $ϕ_H(x,Q)$. We show that the assumption of a frozen coupling at low momentum transfers can explain the observed scaling of two-photon exclusive processes.