γZ box corrections to weak charges of heavy nuclei in atomic parity violation.

We present a new dispersive formulation of the γZ box radiative corrections to weak charges of bound protons and neutrons in atomic parity violation measurements on heavy nuclei such as 133Cs and 213Ra. We evaluate for the first time a small but important additional correction arising from Pauli blocking of nucleons in a heavy nucleus. Overall, we find a significant shift in the γZ correction to the weak charge of 133Cs, approximately 4 times larger than the current uncertainty on the value of sin2 θ(W), but with a reduced error compared to earlier estimates.

New formulation of γZ box corrections to the weak charge of the proton.

We present a new formulation of one of the major radiative corrections to the weak charge of the proton-that arising from the axial-vector hadron part of the γZ box diagram, ℜe□(γZ)(A). This formulation, based on dispersion relations, relates the γZ contributions to moments of the F(3)(γZ) interference structure function. It has a clear connection to the pioneering work of Marciano and Sirlin, and enables a systematic approach to improved numerical precision.

Delta resonance contribution to two-photon exchange in electron-proton scattering.

We calculate the effects on the elastic electron-proton scattering cross section of the two-photon exchange contribution with an intermediate Delta resonance. The Delta two-photon exchange contribution is found to be smaller in magnitude than the previously evaluated nucleon contribution, with an opposite sign at backward scattering angles. The sum of the nucleon and Delta two-photon exchange corrections has an angular dependence compatible with both the polarization-transfer and the Rosenbluth methods of measuring the nucleon electromagnetic form factors.

Two-photon exchange and elastic electron-proton scattering.

Two-photon exchange contributions to elastic electron-proton scattering cross sections are evaluated in a simple hadronic model including the finite size of the proton. The corrections are found to be small in magnitude, but with a strong angular dependence at fixed Q2. This is significant for the Rosenbluth technique for determining the ratio of the electric and magnetic form factors of the proton at high Q2, and partly reconciles the apparent discrepancy with the results of the polarization transfer technique.