Exclusive Processes in Quantum Chromodynamics: The Form Factors of Baryons at Large Momentum Transfer

The form factors of baryons at large momentum transfer are computed in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) to leading order in ${\alpha }_s\left(Q^2\right)$ and $\frac{m^2}{Q^2}$. Asymptotically, we predict $Q^4{G_M}^p\left(Q^2\right)\to C{\left[{\alpha }_s\right(Q^2\left)\right]}^{2+\frac{4}{3\beta }}$ and $\frac{{G_M}^n}{{G_M}^p}\to -\frac{2}{3}$, where $\beta =11-\left(\frac{2}{3}\right)n_{\mathrm{flavor}}$ and $C>\mathrm{}0\mathrm{}$. Form factors for processes in which the baryon helicity is changed or in which the initial or final baryon has helicity greater than 1 are suppressed by factors of $\frac{m}{Q}$. We also give QCD predictions for general exclusive scattering processes at large momentum transfer.