Accessing the gravitational form factors of the nucleon and nuclei through a massive graviton

Abstract

In contrast to the electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon and nuclei that have been extensively studied in electron scattering, there is no known way to directly measure the gravitational form factors (GFFs), the off-forward hadronic matrix element of the QCD energy-momentum tensor. I suggest exploring the possibility to use massive gravitons in beyond the Standard Model and General Relativity scenarios as a means to access the GFFs of the proton and nuclei at future TeV-scale lepton-ion colliders.

Comments: 4 pages; v2 revised version to be published as a Letter in PRD