Electromagnetic scattering from relativistic bound states (original) (raw)

The quasipotential formalism for elastic scattering from relativistic bound states is formulated based on the instant constraint in the Breit frame. The quasipotential electromagnetic current is derived from Mandelstam's fivepoint kernel and obeys a two-body Ward identity. Breit-frame wave functions are obtained directly by solving integral equations with nonzero total threemomentum, thus accomplishing a dynamical boost. Calculations of electrondeuteron elastic form factors illustrate the importance of the dynamical boost versus kinematic boosts of the rest frame wave functions.