Deuteron electromagnetic structure at large momentum transfer

Pursuing the idea that exchange currents should dominate the very large momentum transfer behavior of the deuteron electromagnetic form factors, we evaluate the $\pi \rho$ and $\sigma \omega$ exchange contributions. Taking the meson-nucleon coupling constants from one-boson exchange calculations of the $\mathrm{NN}$ force and the photon-meson coupling strengths from a relativistic quark model, we find that the form factors begin to "flatten out" at momentum transfers $q^2\gtrsim 50$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^{-2\mathrm{}}$ and are an order of magnitude greater than the usual impulse prediction at $q^2\approx 100$ ${\mathrm{fm}}^{-2\mathrm{}}$.