Speaker
Ian Van Schalkwyk
Description
The accurate determination of the electromagnetic form factor of the pion ($F_\pi (Q^2)$) is of direct phenomenological relevance for upcoming experiments and understanding the transition between non-perturbative and perturbative QCD. Calculations of $F_\pi (Q^2)$ using Lattice QCD have traditionally presented significant challenges. We present new calculations from the QCDSF collaboration of $F_\pi(Q^2)$ up to $Q^2 = 12 GeV^2$ using the Feynman-Hellman theorem in conjunction with momentum smearing, all-mode averaging and variational methods. By computing the pion and kaon form factors for a variety of light and strange masses along the line of constant average SU(3) quark mass, flavour breaking effects are investigated at fixed $Q^2$.