QCD Predictions for Meson Electromagnetic Form Factors at High Momenta: Testing Factorization in Exclusive Processes

We report the first lattice QCD computation of pion and kaon electromagnetic form factors, FM(Q2), at large momentum transfer up to 10 and 28 GeV2, respectively. Utilizing physical masses and two fine lattices, we achieve good agreement with JLab experimental results at Q2≲4 GeV2. For Q2≳4 GeV2, our results provide ab initio QCD benchmarks for the forthcoming experiments at JLab 12 GeV and future electron-ion colliders. We also test the QCD collinear factorization framework utilizing our high-Q2 form factors at next-to-next-to-leading order in perturbation theory, which relates the form factors to the leading Fock-state meson distribution amplitudes. Comparisons with independent lattice QCD calculations using the same framework demonstrate, within estimated uncertainties, the universality of these nonperturbative quantities.