Electromagnetic polarizabilities of the nucleon and properties of the $\sigma$-meson pole contribution

Abstract

The $t$-channel contribution to the difference of electromagnetic polarizabilities of the nucleon, $(\alpha -\beta {)}^t$, can be quantitatively understood in terms of a $\sigma$-meson pole in the complex $t$-plane of the invariant scattering amplitude $A_1(s,t)$ with properties of the $\sigma$ meson as given by the quark-level Nambu--Jona-Lasinio model (NJL). Equivalently, this quantity may be understood in terms of a cut in the complex $t$-plane where the properties of the $\sigma$ meson are taken from the $\pi \pi ->\sigma ->\pi \pi$, $\gamma \gamma ->\sigma ->\pi \pi$ and $N\bar{N}->\sigma ->\pi \pi$ reactions. This equivalence may be understood as a sum rule where the properties of the $\sigma$ meson as predicted by the NJL model are related to the $f_0(600)$ particle observed in the three reactions. In the following we describe details of the derivation of $(\alpha -\beta {)}^t$ making use of predictions of the quark-level NJL model for the $\sigma$-meson mass.