Asymptotic properties of Hulthen model form factors on the light front - art. no. 044014

We use light-front dynamics to calculate the electromagnetic form factor fo r the Hulthen model of the deuteron. For a small momentum transfer Q(2)<5 G eV2 the relativistic effects are quite small. For Q(2)<similar to>11 GeV2 t here is a similar to 13% discrepancy between the relativistic and nonrelati vistic approaches. For asymptotically large momentum transfer, however, the light-front form factor similar to 1n Q(2)/Q(4) differs markedly from the nonrelativistic version similar to1/Q(4). This behavior is also present for any wave function, such as those obtained from realistic potential models, which can be represented as a sum of Yukawa functions. Furthermore, the as ymptotic behavior is in disagreement with the Drell-Yan-West relation. We i nvestigate precisely how to determine the asymptotic behavior, and confront the problem underlying troublesome form factors on the light front.