text:
# Power corrections to the space-like transition form factor 𝐅_{𝜂'𝐠^∗𝐠^∗}(𝐐^𝟐,𝜔)

## I Introduction

During the last few years the interest into theoretical investigations of the quark-gluon structure of light mesons, especially the pion, $`\eta `$ and $`\eta ^{}`$ mesons, has risen due to the high-precision CLEO results on the electromagnetic $`M\gamma `$ transition form factors (FF’s) $`F_{M\gamma }(Q^2)`$ cleo1  (with $`M`$ denoting one of these mesons), as well as because of the observed very large branching ratios for the exclusive $`BK\eta ^{}`$ and semi-inclusive $`B\eta ^{}X_s`$ decays cleo2 .

The data on the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition FF were mainly used for extracting information concerning the $`\eta ^{}`$ quark component of the meson distribution amplitude (DA). Schemes and methods applied to this purpose range from light-cone perturbation-theory calculations – with the quark transverse-momentum $`k_{}`$ dependence kept in the hard-scattering amplitude $`T_H(x,k_{},Q^2)`$ of the underlying hard subprocess cao  – to the modified hard-scattering approach (mHSA) with resummed transverse-momentum effects (giving rise to Sudakov suppression factors) and such due to the intrinsic transverse momentum of the meson wave functions jakob ; feld1 , to the running coupling (RC) method, employed for the estimation of power-suppressed corrections to the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition FF ag1 . In these investigations, two different parameterizations were used, one employing the conventional $`\eta \eta ^{}`$ mixing scheme with one mixing angle $`\theta _p`$ cao ; jakob ; ag1  for both physical states and decay constants and a second one, which considers two mixing angles $`\theta _1`$ and $`\theta _8`$ to parameterize the weak decay constants $`f_P^i`$ $`(P=\eta ,\eta ^{};i=1,8)`$ of the $`\eta `$ and $`\eta ^{}`$ mesons feld1 . An important conclusion drawn from these investigations, irrespective of the underlying method, is that the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA must be close to its asymptotic form and that the admixture of the first non-asymptotic term should be within the range $`b_2(\mu _0^2)0.05÷0.15`$, $`b_2`$ being the first Gegenbauer coefficient. The CLEO data on the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition and the two-angles mixing scheme were also used to estimate the allowed range of the intrinsic charm content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson decay constant $`f_\eta ^{}^c`$ feld1 . It turned out that the value $`65\mathrm{MeV}`$$`f_\eta ^{}^c15\mathrm{MeV}`$ does not contradict the CLEO data.

But apart from the ordinary light quark and charm $`|\eta _c^{}`$ components, the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson may also contain a two-gluon valence Fock state $`|gg`$. Moreover, absent at the normalization point $`\mu _0`$, a gluon component of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson will appear in the region $`Q^2>\mu _0^2`$ owing to quark-gluon mixing and renormalization-group evolution of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA chase1 ; ter81 ; ohrndorf ; shif ; ba . This can directly contribute to the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition at the next-to-leading order due to quark box diagrams and also affect the leading-order result through evolution of the quark component of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA. Hence, an effect of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson gluon component on the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition is only mild and was therefore neglected in most theoretical investigations cao ; jakob ; feld1 ; ag1 .

But the contribution of the gluon content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson to the two-body non-leptonic exclusive and semi-inclusive decay ratios of the $`B`$ meson may be sizeable. Indeed, such a mechanism to account for the observed large branching ratio cleo2

$$Br(B\eta ^{}+X_s)=(6.2\pm 1.6\pm 1.3)\times 10^4,$$
(1)
was proposed in Ref. at . In this work it was suggested that the dominant fraction of the $`B\eta ^{}+X_s`$ decay rate appears as the result of the transition $`g^{}g\eta `$ of a virtual gluon $`g^{}`$ from the standard model penguin diagram $`bsg^{}`$. For the computation of the contribution of this mechanism to the $`Br(B\eta ^{}+X_s)`$ in Ref. at , the $`g^{}g\eta ^{}`$ vertex function was approximated by the constant $`H(q^2,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)H(0,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)1.8\mathrm{GeV}^1`$, the latter being extracted from the analysis of the $`J/\psi \eta ^{}\gamma `$ decay. Further investigations, however, demonstrated that effects of the QCD running coupling $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(q^2)`$ hou , as well as a momentum dependence of the form factor $`H(q^2,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$, properly taken into account, considerably reduce the contribution to Eq. (1) of the mechanism under consideration kag . In order to cover the gap between theoretical predictions and experimental data in Ref. ah , a gluon fusion (spectator) mechanism was proposed. In accordance with the latter, the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson is produced by the fusion of a gluon from the QCD penguin diagram $`bsg^{}`$ with another one emitted by the light quark inside the $`B`$ meson. In this mechanism, the form factor 111In this work we use the notions “vertex function” and “form factor” on the same footing. $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(q{}_{1}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{2},q_2^2,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$ appears owing to the $`g^{}g^{}\eta ^{}`$ transition.

The same ideas form a basis for the computation of the branching ratios of various two-body non-leptonic exclusive decay modes of the $`B`$ meson ali1 . To account for the data on the exclusive decay $`BK\eta ^{}`$ in Ref. hal , a mechanism was proposed, based on the assumption of a strong intrinsic charm component of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson. But a more detailed analysis franz  proved that the charm content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ is too small ($`f_\eta ^{}^c2\mathrm{MeV}`$) to explain the observed branching ratio $`Br(BK\eta ^{})`$. The CLEO data on the $`B`$ meson non-leptonic decays that stimulated interesting theoretical works dihle  remain actual until today eeg .

The exclusive processes $`BK^{()}\eta ^{()}`$ were also analyzed within the QCD factorization approach neub1  and various contributions to the corresponding branching ratios were estimated neub2 . In accordance with Ref. neub2 , the spectator mechanism and such connected to the gluon content of the $`\eta `$ and $`\eta ^{}`$ mesons are not a key factor in explaining the pattern of the observed experimental data. Instead, a more important role plays here the interference (constructive or destructive) of penguin amplitudes and large radiative corrections to them, which bring the predicted branching ratios into reasonable agreement with the data.

The $`\eta ^{}`$-meson virtual-(on-shell-)gluon transition form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(q_1^2,q_2^2,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$ is the central ingredient of analyses performed within perturbative QCD (pQCD) and hence requires further thorough investigations. Such theoretical investigations are especially important in view of contradictory predictions made for this FF in the literature muta ; yang ; ali2 ; pas . For instance, in Ref. muta  the contribution of the gluon content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson to the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(q_1^2,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$ was estimated and found to be too small while $`F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(q_1^2,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$ itself is close to the form

$$F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(q_1^2,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)\frac{H(0,0,m_\eta ^{}^2)}{q_1^2/m_\eta ^{}^21}=\frac{1.8}{q_1^2/m_\eta ^{}^21}\mathrm{GeV}^1,$$
(2)
used in some phenomenological applications kag ; ah . On the other hand, in computations of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson virtual-gluon vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(q_1^2,q_2^2,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$, the gluon content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson was neglected and the asymptotic form of the DA for the quark component was employed yang . The same vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(q_1^2,q_2^2,m_\eta ^{}^2)`$ was considered in ali2 , where both the standard HSA br1  as well as the mHSA were used, and the space-, and time-like vertex functions were analyzed. Some errors made in Ref. muta  in the description of the hard-scattering amplitude of the subprocess $`g+gg^{}+g^{}`$ and in the definition of the evolution of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA were corrected in ali2 . Unfortunately, also this latter work contains an incorrect expression for the gluon component $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega ,\eta )`$ of the form factor, since it is antisymmetric under the exchange of the asymmetry parameter $`\omega \omega `$ in clear conflict with Bose symmetry. More recently, in Ref. pas , the space-like form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ was computed within the standard HSA. These authors performed a detailed analysis of the normalization of the gluon component of both the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA and that of the gluon projector onto a pseudoscalar meson state.

In the present work, we investigate the massless $`\eta ^{}`$-meson virtual-gluon space-like transition form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ using the framework of the standard HSA br1 , as well as by applying the RC method together with the infrared (IR) renormalon calculus ben . Our results obtained within the standard HSA are in agreement with those of Ref. pas . But our central task here is the calculation and evolution of power-suppressed corrections $`1/Q^{2n},n=1,2\mathrm{}`$ to the transition FF $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$. Because in the production of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson from the $`B`$ decay the momentum squared of the virtual gluon can vary from $`1\mathrm{GeV}^2`$ to $`25\mathrm{GeV}^2`$, the power corrections in this domain of $`Q^2`$ are expected to play an important role. Note, however, that we elaborate only on a theoretical framework to compute power corrections for the space-like transition FF. Nevertheless, our technique can be generalized to encompass the time-like transition form factor, relevant for B meson decays, as well. Work in this direction will be reported elsewhere.

The RC method enables us to estimate power corrections coming from the end-point $`x,y0,1`$ regions (for definiteness we consider two mesons in an exclusive process) in the integrals determining the amplitude for an exclusive process. It is known br1  that in order to calculate an amplitude of some hadron exclusive process, one has to perform integrations over longitudinal momentum fractions $`x,y`$ of the involved partons. If one chooses the renormalization scale $`\mu _R^2`$ in the hard-scattering amplitude $`T_H`$ of the corresponding partonic subprocess in such a way as to minimize higher-order corrections and allows the QCD coupling constant $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)`$ to run, then one encounters divergences arising from the end-point $`x,y0,1`$ regions. The reason is that the scale $`\mu _R^2`$, as a rule, is equal to the momentum squared of the hard virtual partons, the latter carrying the strong interactions in the subprocess’ Feynman diagrams br2  and, in general, depends on $`x`$ and $`y`$. Within the RC method this problem is resolved by applying the IR renormalon calculus. It turns out that this treatment allows us to evaluate power-behaved corrections to the physical quantity under investigation. This method was recently used for the computation of power corrections to the electromagnetic form factors $`F_{\pi ,K}(Q^2)`$ of the pion and the kaon, ag2 ; ag3 , and the electromagnetic transition FF’s $`F_{M\gamma }(Q^2)`$ ag1 ; kivel  of the light pseudoscalar mesons. Power corrections to hadronic processes can also be calculated utilizing the Landau-pole free expression for the QCD coupling constant shir . This analytic approach was used to compute in a unifying way power corrections to the electromagnetic pion form factor and to the inclusive cross section of the Drell-Yan process stef ; stef1 .

The paper is organized as follows. In Sect. II we briefly review $`\eta \eta ^{}`$ mixing schemes in the flavor $`SU_f(3)`$ octet-singlet and the quark-flavor bases, and discuss the evolution of the quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA with the factorization scale. The important question of the generalization of the hard-scattering amplitudes of the $`\eta ^{}g^{}`$ transition to the RC method case is also considered. Section III is devoted to a rather detailed presentation of the RC method. In Sect. IV we compute the quark and gluon components of the transition FF $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$. Section V contains our numerical results. Finally, in Sect. VI we make our concluding remarks. Appendix contains an additional information on the $`\eta ^{}`$\- meson DA.

## II Quark and gluon contributions to the $`\eta ^{}𝐠^{}`$ transition form factor

In this section we consider the quark-gluon content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson, as well as the $`\eta ^{}`$ DA and give some general expressions for determining the $`\eta ^{}g^{}`$ transition form factor within both the standard HSA and the RC method.

### II.1 Structure of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson

The parton Fock state decomposition of the pseudoscalar $`P=\eta ,\eta ^{}`$ mesons, can be generically written in the following form

$$|P=|P_a+|P_b+|P_c+|P_g,$$
(1)
where $`|P_a`$ and $`|P_b`$ denote the $`P`$-meson light-quarks $`u,d,s`$ and $`|P_c`$, $`|P_g`$ its charm and gluon components, respectively. Fock states with additional gluons and $`q\overline{q}`$ quark-antiquark pairs have been omitted for simplicity.

The $`P`$-meson light-quark content $`|P_a,|P_b`$ can be described either in the flavor $`SU_f(3)`$ octet-singlet or in the quark-flavor basis. In the first scheme, the states $`|P_a,|P_b`$ are expressed as superpositions of the $`SU_f(3)`$ singlet $`\eta _1`$ and octet $`\eta _8`$ states

$$|\eta _1=\frac{\mathrm{\Psi }_1}{\sqrt{3}}|u\overline{u}+d\overline{d}+s\overline{s},$$

$$|\eta _8=\frac{\mathrm{\Psi }_8}{\sqrt{6}}|u\overline{u}+d\overline{d}2s\overline{s},$$
(2)
whereas in the quark-flavor basis, the $`SU_f(3)`$ strange $`\eta _s`$ and non-strange $`\eta _q`$ states are used, i.e.,

$$|\eta _q=\frac{\mathrm{\Psi }_q}{\sqrt{2}}|u\overline{u}+d\overline{d},|\eta _s=\mathrm{\Psi }{}_{s}{}^{}|\overline{s}.$$
(3)
In Eqs. (2) and (3) $`\mathrm{\Psi }_i`$ denote wave functions of the corresponding parton states.

As mentioned above, the charm component of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson was estimated franz ; pet  to be too small to considerably affect the $`B`$ meson exclusive decays. Therefore, in the present investigation we neglect the charm content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson. The maximal admixture of the two-gluon state in the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson was estimated to be around $`26\%`$ of its content kou . New results from the KLOE Collaboration aloisio  are compatible with the two-gluon contribution in the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson being below the level of $`15\%`$.

The pure light-quark sector of the $`\eta \eta ^{}`$ system without charm and gluon admixtures can be treated by means of the basic states (2) or (3). In the $`SU_f(3)`$ octet-singlet basis, the $`\eta `$ and $`\eta ^{}`$ mesons are expressed as superpositions of the $`\eta _8,\eta _1`$ states

$$|\eta =\mathrm{cos}\theta _p|\eta _8\mathrm{sin}\theta _p|\eta _1,$$

$$|\eta ^{}=\mathrm{sin}\theta _p|\eta _8+\mathrm{cos}\theta _p|\eta _1.$$
(4)
Here, $`\theta _p`$ is the mixing angle of physical states in the octet-singlet scheme. In the quark-flavor basis we get the same expressions but with $`\theta _p`$ replaced by the mixing angle $`\varphi _p`$ of the physical states in the new basis $`\eta _q,\eta _s`$, viz.,

$$|\eta =\mathrm{cos}\varphi _p|\eta _q\mathrm{sin}\varphi _p|\eta _s,$$

$$|\eta ^{}=\mathrm{sin}\varphi _p|\eta _q+\mathrm{cos}\varphi _p|\eta _s.$$
(5)
The $`\eta _1`$ and $`\eta _8`$ states and the mixing angle $`\theta _p`$ in the octet-singlet scheme can be expressed in terms of the $`\eta _q,\eta _s`$ states and the mixing angle $`\varphi _p`$ in the quark-flavor basis and vice versa. At the level of physical-state mixing there is no difference between the two bases (2) and (3). This only appears when one parameterizes the decay constants $`f_P^i`$ of the $`P=\eta `$ and $`\eta ^{}`$ mesons in terms of

$$0|J_{\mu 5}^i|P=if_P^ip_\mu ,$$

where $`J_{\mu 5}^i`$ is the axial-vector currents with $`i=q,s`$ or $`i=1,\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}8}`$. In the quark-flavor basis the decay constants $`f_P^{q(s)}`$ follow with great accuracy the pattern of the state mixing feld2 ; feld3

$$f_\eta ^q=f_q\mathrm{cos}\varphi _p,f_\eta ^s=f_s\mathrm{sin}\varphi _p,$$

$$f_\eta ^{}^q=f_q\mathrm{sin}\varphi _p,f_\eta ^{}^s=f_s\mathrm{cos}\varphi _p.$$
(6)
The situation with the parameterization of the decay constants in the octet-singlet basis is different. In this case, in order to take into account the flavor $`SU_f(3)`$ symmetry breaking effects, a two mixing-angles scheme for the decay constants $`f_P^{1(8)}`$ was introduced let

$$f_\eta ^8=f_8\mathrm{cos}\theta _8,f_\eta ^1=f_1\mathrm{sin}\theta _1,$$

$$f_\eta ^{}^8=f_8\mathrm{sin}\theta _8,f_\eta ^{}^1=f_1\mathrm{cos}\theta _1.$$
(7)
The mixing angles $`\theta _1`$ and $`\theta _8`$ differ from each other and also from the state mixing angle $`\theta _p`$. Nevertheless, in some phenomenological applications the conventional octet-singlet mixing scheme, that is the scheme with one mixing angle and which assumes the equality $`\theta _1=\theta _8=\theta _p`$, is used. In the investigation of physical processes both the octet-singlet and the quark-flavor bases may be used. A detailed analysis of the $`\eta \eta ^{}`$ mixing problems and further references can be found in Ref. feld4 .

In our present work we choose the quark-flavor basis (3) and the mixing scheme (5). In this scheme, the decay constants $`f_q`$ and $`f_s`$, and the mixing angle $`\varphi _p`$ have the following values feld3 ; feld4

$$f_q=(1.07\pm 0.02)f_\pi ,f_s=(1.34\pm 0.06)f_\pi ,\varphi _p=39.3^{}\pm 1.0^{}$$

with $`f_\pi =0.131\mathrm{GeV}`$ being the pion weak decay constant. The KLOE result for $`\varphi _p=(41.8_{1.6^{}}^{+1.9^{}})`$ aloisio  is slightly shifted towards larger values, but it still does not contradict the average value $`\varphi _p=39.3^{}\pm 1.0^{}`$. In our numerical computations we shall use the central values of the constants shown above.

The singlet part of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA222The octet component of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA is irrelevant for our present investigation and will not be considered here. In what follows we refer to the singlet part of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA as being the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA.  $`\varphi (x,\mu ^2)`$ was obtained in Refs. ohrndorf ; shif ; ba  by solving the evolution equation and found to depend on both functions $`\varphi ^q(x,\mu ^2)`$ and $`\varphi ^g(x,\mu ^2)`$. These functions denote the quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA, respectively, and satisfy the symmetry and antisymmetry conditions,

$$\varphi ^q(x,\mu ^2)=\varphi ^q(1x,\mu ^2),\varphi ^g(x,\mu ^2)=\varphi ^g(1x,\mu ^2).$$
(8)
This follows from the symmetry properties of the DA of the two-particle bound state of a neutral pseudoscalar meson and is in fact enough to obtain general expressions for the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson virtual-gluon transition form factor. The evolution of the functions $`\varphi ^q(x,\mu ^2)`$ and $`\varphi ^g(x,\mu ^2)`$ with the scale $`\mu ^2`$, as well as their dependence on the constants $`f_q,f_s`$ and $`\varphi _p`$ will be considered in Subsect. II.C.

### II.2 The $`\eta ^{}𝐠^{}`$ transition form factor $`𝐅_{\eta ^{}𝐠^{}𝐠^{}}(𝐐^\mathrm{𝟐},\omega )`$

The massless $`\eta ^{}`$ meson - virtual gluon transition form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$

$$F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )=F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )+F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega ),$$
(9)
can be defined in terms of the invariant amplitude

$$M=M^q+M^g,$$
(10)
for the process

$$\eta ^{}(P)g^{}(q_1)+g^{}(q_2),$$
(11)
in the following way

$$M^{q(g)}=iF_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^{q(g)}(Q^2,\omega )\delta _{ab}ϵ^{\mu \nu \rho \sigma }ϵ_\mu ^aϵ_\nu ^bq_{1\rho }q_{2\sigma }.$$
(12)
In Eq. (12) $`ϵ_\mu ^a,ϵ_\nu ^b`$ and $`q_1,q_2`$ are, respectively, the polarization vectors and four-momenta of the two gluons. Because we study only the space-like FF, $`q_1^2`$ and $`q_2^2`$ obey the constraints $`Q_1^2=q_1^20,Q_2^2=q_2^2>0`$ and $`Q_1^2=q_1^2>0,Q_2^2=q_2^20`$. The form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ depends on the total gluon virtuality $`Q^2`$ and the asymmetry parameter $`\omega `$, defined by

$$Q^2=Q_1^2+Q_2^2,\omega =\frac{Q_1^2Q_2^2}{Q^2}.$$
(13)
The asymmetry parameter $`\omega `$ varies in the region $`1\omega 1`$. The value $`\omega =\pm 1`$ corresponds to the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on-shell-gluon transition and the value $`\omega =0`$ to the situation when the gluons have equal virtualities $`Q_1^2=Q_2^2`$.

In accordance with the factorization theorems of pQCD at high momentum transfer, the FF’s $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^{q(g)}(Q^2,\omega )`$ are given by the expressions

$$F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )=\left[T_H^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)+T_H^q(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)\right]\varphi ^q(x,\mu _F^2)$$
(14)
and

$$F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )=\left[T_H^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)T_H^g(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)\right]\varphi ^g(x,\mu _F^2).$$
(15)
Here, $`\overline{x}1x`$ and $`\mu _F^2`$ represents the factorization scale. In Eqs. (14) and (15) we have used the notation

$$T_H(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)\varphi (x,\mu _F^2)=_0^1T_H(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)\varphi (x,\mu _F^2)𝑑x.$$
(16)
The sum

$$T_H^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)+T_H^q(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)$$
(17)
and the difference

$$T_H^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)T_H^g(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)$$
(18)
represent the hard-scattering amplitudes of the subprocesses $`q+\overline{q}g^{}+g^{}`$ and $`g+gg^{}+g^{}`$, respectively. The Feynman diagrams contributing at the leading order to these subprocesses’ amplitudes are depicted in Figs. 1 and 2.

In what follows, we omit the subscript $`H`$ in Eqs. (17) and (18) and introduce instead the notations

$$T_1^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)=T_H^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2),$$

$$T_2^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2)=T_H^{q(g)}(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega ,\mu _F^2).$$

In leading order of pQCD, we get for the hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_1^{q(g)}`$ and $`T_2^{q(g)}`$ of the massless $`\eta ^{}`$ meson - virtual gluon transition FF the following expressions

$$T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)=\frac{4\pi }{3Q^2}\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)}{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}},$$

$$T_2^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\overline{\mu }_R^2)=\frac{4\pi }{3Q^2}\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\overline{\mu }_R^2)}{(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x}$$
(19)
and

$$T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)=\frac{\pi \alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)}{Q^2n_f}\frac{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}{\omega \left[(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x\right]},$$

$$T_2^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\overline{\mu }_R^2)=\frac{\pi \alpha _\mathrm{s}(\overline{\mu }_R^2)}{Q^2n_f}\frac{(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x}{\omega \left[(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}\right]}.$$
(20)
In deriving the hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_{1(2)}^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)`$ (they are the object of contradictory conclusions in the literature ali2 ; pas ), the following projection operator of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson onto the two-gluon state has been used

$$P_{\mu \nu ,ab}=i\frac{\delta _{ab}}{\sqrt{6}\sqrt{n_f}}\frac{ϵ_{\mu \nu \gamma \delta }q_1^\gamma q_2^\delta }{\omega Q^2}.$$

Note that in the limit $`\omega =0`$ the difference $`T_1^gT_2^g`$, being the physical hard-scattering amplitude, is singularity-free (see Eq. (25) below). In the expressions above, $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu ^2)`$ is the QCD coupling constant in the two-loop approximation defined by

$$\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu ^2)=\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0\mathrm{ln}(\mu ^2/\mathrm{\Lambda }^2)}\left[1\frac{2\beta _1}{\beta _0^2}\frac{\mathrm{ln}\mathrm{ln}(\mu ^2/\mathrm{\Lambda }^2)}{\mathrm{ln}(\mu ^2/\mathrm{\Lambda }^2)}\right],$$
(21)
with $`\beta _0`$ and $`\beta _1`$ being the one- and two-loop coefficients of the QCD beta function:

$$\beta _0=11\frac{2}{3}n_f,\beta _1=51\frac{19}{3}n_f.$$
(22)
In Eqs. (20), (21), and (22) $`\mathrm{\Lambda }=0.3\mathrm{GeV}`$ is the QCD scale parameter and $`n_f`$ is the number of active quark flavors.

The physical quantity $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$, represented at sufficiently high $`Q^2`$ by the factorization formulas (14), (15), is independent of the renormalization scheme and the renormalization and factorization scales $`\mu _R^2(\overline{\mu }_R^2)`$ and $`\mu _F^2`$. Truncation of the perturbation series of $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ at any finite order causes a residual dependence on the scheme as well as on these scales. At the leading order of pQCD, the hard-scattering amplitude does not depend on the factorization scale $`\mu _F^2`$ but depends implicitly on the renormalization scale $`\mu _R^2`$ through $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)`$.333Similar arguments hold for the scale $`\overline{\mu }_R^2`$. An explicit dependence of the function $`T_H`$ on $`\mu _R^2`$ and $`\mu _F^2`$ appears at $`O(\alpha _\mathrm{s})`$ due to QCD corrections. As the scales $`\mu _R^2`$ and $`\mu _F^2`$ are independent of each other and can be chosen separately, we adopt in this work the natural and widely used “default” choice for the factorization scale $`\mu _F^2=Q^2`$ and omit in what follows a dependence of the hard-scattering amplitude on $`\mu _F^2`$ (see, Eqs. (19) and (20)). For a more detailed discussion of these questions, we refer the interested reader to SSK00 .

In the standard HSA with a “frozen” coupling constant br1  one sets the renormalization scale to be $`\mu _R^2=\overline{\mu }_R^2=Q^2`$, simplifying the calculation of the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ considerably. In this approach the hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_{1,2}^{q(g)}`$ and hence the quark and gluon components of the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ possess symmetry features pertaining to the RC method. Indeed, it is not difficult to see that

$$T_{1(2)}^q(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega )=T_{2(1)}^q(x,Q^2,\omega ),T_{1(2)}^q(x,Q^2,\omega )=T_{2(1)}^q(x,Q^2,\omega )$$
(23)
and

$$T_{1(2)}^g(\overline{x},Q^2,\omega )=T_{2(1)}^g(x,Q^2,\omega ),T_{1(2)}^g(x,Q^2,\omega )=T_{2(1)}^g(x,Q^2,\omega ).$$
(24)
Using Eqs. (8) and (23), we then find

$$F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )=T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega )\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)+(\omega \omega )=$$

$$=2T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega )\varphi ^q(x,Q^2).$$
(25)
In similar manner, using Eqs. (8) and (24), one can demonstrate that the following equalities hold

$$F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )=T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega )\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)+(\omega \omega )=$$

$$=2T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega )\varphi ^g(x,Q^2).$$
(26)
From Eqs. (25) and (26) it follows that

$$F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )=F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega ),F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )=F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega ).$$
(27)
In pQCD calculations higher-order corrections to various physical processes, are, in general, large and in order to improve the convergence of the corresponding perturbative series, different methods have been proposed. In exclusive processes - considering the pion electromagnetic form factor as being a prominent example - the next-to-leading order $`O(\alpha _\mathrm{s})`$ correction contains logarithmic terms $`\mathrm{ln}(Q^2\overline{x}\overline{y}/\mu _R^2)`$ (or $`\mathrm{ln}(Q^2xy/\mu _R^2)`$) field ; dittes , which can be entirely or partly eliminated by a proper choice of the renormalization scale $`\mu _R^2(\overline{\mu }_R^2)`$. This can be achieved by taking as a renormalization scale $`\mu _R^2=Q^2\overline{x}\overline{y}[\overline{\mu }_R^2=Q^2xy]`$ or $`\mu _R^2=Q^2\overline{x}/2[\overline{\mu }_R^2=Q^2x/2]`$. The renormalization scale enters into the pQCD expression not only via logarithmic terms, but also through the argument of the running coupling $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)`$. In order to calculate the amplitude of an exclusive process, an integration in corresponding integrals over the longitudinal momentum fractions of the quarks and gluons in the involved hadrons has to be carried out. Thus, in the pion electromagnetic FF calculations, the integration over the variables $`x`$ and $`y`$ has to be performed. Traditionally, to avoid problems associated with singularities of $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)`$, one “freezes” the running coupling by replacing $`x`$ and $`y`$, e.g., by their mean values $`x<x>=1/2,y<y>=1/2`$ in the argument of $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)`$ and performs then the calculation with $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2/4)`$ field . Recently, the RC method for the calculation of various exclusive processes with $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _R^2)`$ was proposed. Within this framework, one expresses the running coupling $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ in terms of $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$ by employing the renormalization-group equation and performs the integration over $`x(y)`$ using the principal value prescription. This allows one to estimate power-suppressed corrections to the process under consideration towards the endpoint region of phase space, thus improving the agreement of QCD theoretical predictions with experimental data. An alternative option to calculate power-behaved contributions with their coefficients would be to use the analytic perturbation theory shir  along the lines proposed in stef ; stef1 . Next-to-leading order corrections are known for only a few exclusive processes field ; dittes ; chase2 . In general, the renormalization scale $`\mu _R^2`$ may be taken equal or proportional to the square of the four-momentum $`q^2`$ of the virtual parton(s) mediating the strong interaction in corresponding leading-order Feynman diagrams.

For the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on-shell gluon transition (i.e., for $`\omega =\pm 1`$), we adopt in this paper the choice

$$\mu _R^2=Q^2x,\overline{\mu }_R^2=Q^2\overline{x}.$$
(28)
The renormalization scales (28) are equal to the momentum squared $`|q^2|`$ of the virtual partons (gluon or quark) in the corresponding Feynman diagrams. In the general case ($`\omega \pm 1`$), the absolute value of the square of the four-momenta $`q^2`$ of the virtual partons depends on both the total gluon virtuality $`Q^2`$ and the asymmetry parameter $`\omega `$. However, for the sake of simplifying the calculations and to avoid problems related to the appearance of two parameters $`Q^2`$ and $`\omega `$ in the argument of $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}`$, we shall use a renormalization scale of the form given in Eq. (28). This choice is justified from the physical point of view because those parts of the scales $`Q^2x,Q^2\overline{x}`$ are exactly responsible for the power corrections $`1/Q^{2n},n=1,\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}2},..`$ to the form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ which we are going to compute.

The next problem then is how to generalize Eqs. (19) and (20) in such a way so that the corresponding hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_{1(2)}^{q(g)}`$ and the quark and gluon components of the vertex function will obey Eqs. (23-27). For this purpose, we symmetrize the functions $`T_{1(2)}^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2(\overline{\mu }_R^2))`$ by exchanging $`\mu _R^2\overline{\mu }_R^2`$ to obtain

$$T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega )=\frac{1}{2}\left[T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)+T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\overline{\mu }_R^2)\right]$$

$$=\frac{2\pi }{3Q^2}\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})}{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}},$$

$$T_2^q(x,Q^2,\omega )=\frac{1}{2}\left[T_2^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\overline{\mu }_R^2)+T_2^q(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)\right]$$
(29)
$$=\frac{2\pi }{3Q^2}\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})}{(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x}$$

and

$$T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega )=\frac{1}{2}\left[T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)+T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\overline{\mu }_R^2)\right]$$

$$=\frac{\pi }{2Q^2n_f}\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})\right]\frac{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}{\omega \left[(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x\right]},$$

$$T_2^g(x,Q^2,\omega )=\frac{1}{2}\left[T_2^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\overline{\mu }_R^2)+T_2^g(x,Q^2,\omega ,\mu _R^2)\right]$$

$$=\frac{\pi }{2Q^2n_f}\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})\right]\frac{(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x}{\omega \left[(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}\right]}.$$
(30)
In the “frozen” coupling-constant approximation $`Q^2x,Q^2\overline{x}Q^2`$, Eqs. (29) and (30) coincide with expressions (19) and (20). It is also not difficult to verify that the hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_{1(2)}^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega )`$ (29), (30) satisfy Eqs. (23) and (24). As a result, Eqs. (25)-(27) remain valid also within the RC method.

### II.3 Quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson distribution amplitude

The important input information needed for the computation of the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ are the DA’s of the quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson, namely, the functions $`\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)`$ and $`\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)`$. In general, a meson DA is a function containing all nonperturbative, long-distance effects, which cannot be calculated by employing perturbative QCD tools. Its dependence on $`x`$ (or its shape) has to be deduced from experimental data or found using some nonperturbative methods, for example, QCD sum-rules (see, e.g., BMS2001 ). In contrast, the evolution of the DA with the factorization scale $`Q^2`$ is governed by pQCD.

The evolution equation for the DA of a flavor singlet pseudoscalar meson was derived and solved in Refs. ohrndorf ; shif ; ba . It turned out that due to mixing of the quark-antiquark and two-gluon components of the meson DA, the evolution equation has a $`\left(2\times 2\right)`$ matrix form. The anomalous dimensions matrix, which enters into the evolution equation at the one-loop order, has the following components ohrndorf ; shif ; ba  (see also Ref. bel )

$$\gamma _{qq}^n=C_F\left[3+\frac{2}{(n+1)(n+2)}4\underset{j=1}{\overset{n+1}{}}\frac{1}{j}\right],\gamma _{gg}^n=N_c\left[\frac{\beta _0}{N_c}+\frac{8}{(n+1)(n+2)}4\underset{j=1}{\overset{n+1}{}}\frac{1}{j}\right],$$

$$\gamma _{qg}^n=\frac{12n_f}{(n+1)(n+2)},\gamma _{gq}^n=C_F\frac{n(n+3)}{3(n+1)(n+2)},$$
(31)
where $`N_c=3`$ and $`C_F=4/3`$ is the group theoretical factor for $`SU_c(3)`$. The anomalous dimensions matrix has the eigenvalues

$$\gamma _\pm ^n=\frac{1}{2}\left[\gamma _{qq}^n+\gamma _{gg}^n\pm \sqrt{(\gamma _{qq}^n\gamma _{gg}^n)^2+4\gamma _{qg}^n\gamma _{gq}^n}\right].$$
(32)
The solutions of the evolution equation for the quark and gluon components of the DA has, in general, the form

$$\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)=6Cx\overline{x}\left\{1+\underset{k=2,4..}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\left[B_n^q\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}\right)^{\frac{\gamma _+^n}{\beta _0}}+\rho _n^gB_n^g\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}\right)^{\frac{\gamma _{}^n}{\beta _0}}\right]C_n^{3/2}(x\overline{x})\right\}$$
(33)
and

$$\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)=Cx\overline{x}\underset{k=2,4..}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\left[\rho _n^qB_n^q\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}\right)^{\frac{\gamma _+^n}{\beta _0}}+B_n^g\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}\right)^{\frac{\gamma _{}^n}{\beta _0}}\right]C_{n1}^{5/2}(x\overline{x})$$
(34)
with the constant $`C`$ being defined as

$$C=\sqrt{2}f_q\mathrm{sin}\varphi _p+f_s\mathrm{cos}\varphi _p.$$

In Eqs. (33) and (34) $`C_n^{3/2}(z)`$ and $`C_n^{5/2}(z)`$ are Gegenbauer polynomials, calculable using the recurrence formula bat1

$$(n+1)C_{n+1}^\nu (z)=2(n+\nu )zC_n^\nu (z)(n+2\nu 1)C_{n1}^\nu (z),$$
(35)
$$C_0^\nu (z)=1,C_1^\nu (z)=2\nu z.$$

The parameters $`\rho _n^q`$ and $`\rho _n^g`$ are determined in terms of the anomalous dimensions matrix elements

$$\rho _n^q=6\frac{\gamma _+^n\gamma _{qq}^n}{\gamma _{gq}^n},\rho _n^g=\frac{1}{6}\frac{\gamma _{gq}^n}{\gamma _{}^n\gamma _{qq}^n}.$$
(36)
In Eqs. (33) and (34) $`\mu _0=1\mathrm{GeV}`$ is the normalization point, at which the free input parameters $`B_n^q,B_n^g`$ in the DA’s $`\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)`$ and $`\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)`$ have to be fixed. Exactly these parameters determine the shape of the DA’s.

For all $`n2`$, the eigenvalues $`\gamma _\pm ^n<0`$ and their absolute values increase with $`n`$. Hence, in the asymptotic limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$, one has

$$\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}\right)^{\frac{\gamma _+^n(\gamma _{}^n)}{\beta _0}}\mathrm{ln}(Q^2/\mathrm{\Lambda }^2)^{\frac{\gamma _+^n(\gamma _{}^n)}{\beta _0}}0$$

and therefore only the quark component of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA survives, evolving to its asymptotic form, whereas the gluon DA in this limit vanishes,

$$\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}6}Cx\overline{x},\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}0}.$$
(37)
In this work, we shall use the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA that contains only the first non-asymptotic terms. In other words, we suggest that in Eqs. (33) and (34) $`B_2^q0,B_2^g0`$ and $`B_n^q=B_n^g=0`$ for all $`n4`$. The numerical values of the relevant parameters for $`n_f=3`$ are

$$\gamma _{qq}^2=\frac{50}{9},\gamma _{gg}^2=11,\gamma _{gq}^2=\frac{10}{27},\gamma _{qg}^2=3,$$

$$\gamma _+^2\frac{48}{9},\gamma _{}^2\frac{101}{9},\rho _2^q\frac{16}{5},\rho _2^g\frac{1}{90}.$$
(38)
Taking into account Eq. (38) and the expressions for the required Gegenbauer polynomials

$$C_2^{3/2}(x\overline{x})=\frac{3}{2}\left[5(x\overline{x})^21\right]=6\left(15x\overline{x}\right),C_1^{5/2}(x\overline{x})=5(x\overline{x}),$$

we finally recast the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson quark and gluon DA’s into the more suitable (for our purposes) forms

$$\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)=6Cx\overline{x}\left[1+A(Q^2)5A(Q^2)x\overline{x}\right],\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)=Cx\overline{x}(x\overline{x})B(Q^2).$$
(39)
In these expressions the functions $`A(Q^2)`$ and $`B(Q^2)`$ are defined by

$$A(Q^2)=6B_2^q\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{48}{81}}\frac{B_2^g}{15}\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{101}{81}},$$

$$B(Q^2)=16B_2^q\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{48}{81}}+5B_2^g\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{101}{81}}.$$
(40)
The $`\eta ^{}`$ meson quark and gluon DA’s for $`n_f=4`$ are given in the Appendix. Equations (39), (40), and (A.1) contain all necessary information about the singlet part of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA.

## III Running coupling method and power suppressed corrections

To compute the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson virtual-gluon transition form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$, we have to perform in Eqs. (14) and (15) the integration over $`x`$ by inserting the explicit expressions for the hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_{1,2}^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega )`$ and the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson quark and gluon DA’s, and retain the $`x`$-dependence of the coupling $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ \[$`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})`$\]. Such calculations lead to divergent integrals because the running coupling $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ \[$`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})`$\] suffers from an infrared singularity in the limit $`x0`$ \[$`x1`$\]. This means that in order to carry out computations with the running coupling, some procedure for its regularization in the end-point $`x0,\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}1}`$ regions has to be adopted.

As a first step in this direction, we express the running coupling $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ in terms of $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$, employing the renormalization-group equation

$$\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)}{\mathrm{ln}x}=\frac{\beta _0}{4\pi }\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)\right]^2\frac{\beta _1}{8\pi ^2}\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)\right]^3.$$
(1)
The solution of Eq. (1), obtained by keeping the leading $`(\alpha _\mathrm{s}\mathrm{ln}x)^k`$ and next-to-leading $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\alpha _\mathrm{s}\mathrm{ln}x)^{k1}`$ powers of $`\mathrm{ln}x`$, reads st

$$\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{1+\mathrm{ln}x/t}\left[1\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)\beta _1}{2\pi \beta _0}\frac{\mathrm{ln}[1+\mathrm{ln}x/t]}{1+\mathrm{ln}x/t}\right],$$
(2)
where $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$ is the one-loop QCD coupling constant and $`t=4\pi /\beta _0\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$.

Inserting Eq. (2) into the expressions for the hard-scattering amplitudes and subsequently $`T_{1,2}^{q(g)}(x,Q^2,\omega )`$ into Eqs. (14) and (15), we obtain integrals which are still divergent, but which now can be calculated using existing methods. One of these methods, applied in Ref. ag2  for the calculation of the electromagnetic pion form factor, allows us to find the quantity under consideration as a perturbative series in $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$ with factorially growing coefficients $`C_n(n1)!`$. Similar series with coefficients $`C_n(n1)!`$ may be found also for the form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$, i.e.,

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )\underset{n=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\left[\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{4\pi }\right]^n\beta _0^{n1}C_n.$$
(3)
But a perturbative QCD series with factorially growing coefficients is a signal for the IR renormalon nature of the divergences in Eq. (3). The convergence radius of the series (3) is zero and its resummation should be performed by employing the Borel integral technique. First, one has to find the Borel transform $`B[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}](u)`$ of the corresponding series zakh

$$B\left[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}\right](u)=\underset{n=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{u^{n1}}{(n1)!}C_n.$$
(4)
Because the coefficients of the series (3) behave like $`C_n(n1)!`$, the Borel transform (4) contains poles located at the positive $`u`$ axis of the Borel plane. In other words, the divergence of the series (3) owing to Eq. (4) has been transformed into pole-like singularities of the function $`B[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}](u)`$. These poles are the footprints of the IR renormalons.

Now in order to define the sum (3) or to find the resummed expression for the form factor, one has to invert $`B[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}](u)`$ to get

$$\left[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )\right]^{res}P.V._0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑u\mathrm{exp}\left[\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}u\right]B\left[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}\right](u)$$
(5)
and remove the IR renormalon divergences by the principal value prescription.

The procedure described above, is straightforward but, at the same time, tedious. Fortunately, these intermediate operations can be bypassed by introducing the inverse Laplace transforms of the functions in Eq. (2) bat2 , viz.,

$$\frac{1}{(t+z)^\nu }=\frac{1}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(\nu )}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑u\mathrm{exp}[u(t+z)]u^{\nu 1},Re\nu >0$$
(6)
and

$$\frac{\mathrm{ln}(t+z)}{(t+z)^2}=_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑u\mathrm{exp}[u(t+z)](1\gamma _E\mathrm{ln}u)u,$$
(7)
where $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(z)`$ is the Gamma function, $`\gamma _E0.577216`$ is the Euler constant, and $`z=\mathrm{ln}x`$ \[or $`z=\mathrm{ln}\overline{x}`$\].

Then using Eqs. (2), (6) and (7) for $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$, we get ag1

$$\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)=\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)t_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑u\mathrm{exp}(ut)x^uR(u,t)=\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑u\mathrm{exp}(ut)x^uR(u,t)$$
(8)
with the function $`R(u,t)`$ defined as

$$R(u,t)=1\frac{2\beta _1}{\beta _0^2}u(1\gamma _E\mathrm{ln}t\mathrm{ln}u).$$
(9)
Employing Eq. (8) for $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ and carrying out the integrations over $`x`$, we obtain (see, the next Section) the quark and gluon components of the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ directly in the Borel resummed form (5).

The resummed vertex function $`[Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )]^{res}`$ \- except for the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on-shell-gluon transition and the $`\omega =0`$ case - contains an infinite number of IR renormalon poles located at $`u_0=n`$, where $`n`$ is a positive integer that, in general, is given as a sum of a series, i.e.,

$$S(k_0,Q^2,\omega )\underset{n=k_0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}P.V._0^{\mathrm{}}\frac{e^{ut}R(u,t)du}{nu}C_n(\omega ).$$
(10)
One appreciates that all information on the process asymmetry parameter $`\omega `$ is accumulated in the coefficient functions $`C_n(\omega )`$.

To avoid inessential technical details and to make the presentation as transparent as possible, let us for the time being neglect the non-leading term $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}^2`$ in Eq. (2) and make the replacement $`R(u,t)1`$ in Eq. (10). Then, the integrals in Eq. (10) take, after simple manipulations, the form

$$\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}P.V._0^{\mathrm{}}\frac{e^{ut}du}{nu}=\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}\frac{li(\lambda ^n)}{\lambda ^n},\lambda =Q^2/\mathrm{\Lambda }^2$$
(11)
with the logarithmic integral $`li(\xi )`$ defined by

$$li(\xi )=P.V._0^\xi \frac{dt}{\mathrm{ln}t}.$$
(12)
The function $`li(\xi )`$ is expressible in terms of the function $`E_1(z)`$ bat1

$$li(\xi )=E_1(\mathrm{ln}\xi ),$$
(13)
where

$$E_1(z)=_z^{\mathrm{}}e^tt^1𝑑t.$$

The latter expression can, for $`\left|z\right|\mathrm{}`$, be expanded over inverse powers of $`z`$

$$E_1(z)=z^1e^z\left[\underset{m=0}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{m!}{(z)^m}+O\left(\left|z\right|^{(M+1)}\right)\right].$$
(14)
Using Eqs. (13) and (14), we find

$$li(\xi )\frac{\xi }{\mathrm{ln}\xi }\underset{m=0}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{m!}{(\mathrm{ln}\xi )^m},\frac{li(\xi ^n)}{\xi ^n}\frac{1}{n\mathrm{ln}\xi }\underset{m=0}{\overset{M}{}}\frac{m!}{(n\mathrm{ln}\xi )^m}.$$
(15)
It is not difficult to see that for $`Q^2\mathrm{\Lambda }^2`$

$$\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}\frac{li(\lambda ^n)}{\lambda ^n}4\pi \underset{m=1}{\overset{M}{}}\left[\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{4\pi }\right]^m\beta _0^{m1}\frac{(m1)!}{n^m}.$$
(16)
Choosing in Eq. (16) $`M\mathrm{}`$ and comparing the obtained result with Eq. (3), we conclude that each term in the sum (10) at fixed $`n`$ is the resummed Borel expression of the series (16).

But we can look at the integrals in Eq. (10) from another perspective. Namely, it is easy to show that

$$\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}\frac{e^{ut}du}{nu}=_0^1\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)x^{n1}𝑑x=\frac{1}{n}f_{2n}(Q),$$
(17)
where $`f_{2n}(Q)`$ are the moment integrals

$$f_p(Q)=\frac{p}{Q^p}_0^Q𝑑kk^{p1}\alpha _\mathrm{s}(k^2).$$
(18)
The integrals $`f_p(Q)`$ can be calculated using the IR matching scheme web

$$f_p(Q)=\left(\frac{\mu _I}{Q}\right)^pf_p(\mu _I)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)\underset{n=0}{\overset{N}{}}\left[\frac{\beta _0}{2\pi p}\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)\right]^n\left[n!\mathrm{\Gamma }(n+1,p\mathrm{ln}(Q/\mu _I))\right],$$
(19)
where $`\mu _I`$ is the infrared matching scale and $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(n+1,z)`$ is the incomplete Gamma function

$$\mathrm{\Gamma }(n+1,z)=_z^{\mathrm{}}e^tt^n𝑑t.$$
(20)
In Eq. (19) $`f_p(\mu _I)`$ are phenomenological parameters, which represent the weighted average of $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(k^2)`$ over the IR region $`0<k<\mu _I`$ and act at the same time as infrared regulators of the r.h.s. of Eq. (17). The first term on the r.h.s. of Eq. (19) is a power-suppressed contribution to $`f_p(Q)`$, which cannot be calculated within pQCD, whereas the second term is the perturbatively calculable part of the function $`f_p(Q)`$. Stated differently, the infrared matching scheme allows one to estimate power corrections to the moment integrals by explicitly dissecting them from the full expression and introducing new nonperturbative parameters $`f_p(\mu _I)`$. The values of these parameters have to be extracted form experimental data.

In order to check the accuracy of both the RC method (IR renormalon calculus) and the infrared matching scheme, a Landau-pole free model for $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$ was introduced in Ref. web  yielding

$$\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)=\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}\left[\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }+125\frac{1+4\lambda }{(1\lambda )(4+\lambda )^4}\right].$$
(21)
The model expression (21) was used for the exact calculation of the moment integrals $`f_p^{\mathrm{exact}}(Q)`$. The IR renormalon and the IR matching scheme results were compared with $`f_p^{\mathrm{exact}}(Q)`$ concluding that for $`N2`$ the IR matching scheme leads to a good agreement with the exact values of $`f_p(Q)`$. As regards the calculation of the integrals $`f_p(Q)`$, when employing the RC method with the principal value prescription, a good agreement with $`f_2^{\mathrm{exact}}(Q)`$ was found for $`p=2`$, while for $`p=1`$ a small deviation from $`f_1^{\mathrm{exact}}(Q)`$ in the region of $`Q^2`$ a few $`\mathrm{GeV}^2`$ was observed (the lowest moment integral entering into our expressions is $`f_2(Q)`$). But even for $`p=1`$, the agreement with $`f_1^{\mathrm{exact}}(Q)`$ within the error bars is quite satisfactory in view of the uncertainties produced by the principal value prescription itself. Therefore, we can conclude that the RC method and the IR matching scheme lead for the moment integrals $`f_p(Q)`$ to approximately similar numerical results. It is remarkable that in both cases an enhancement of the IR renormalon and matching-scheme results relative to the leading-order perturbative prediction was found.

After presenting our analysis, it becomes evident that the Borel resummation technique enables us to estimate with a rather good accuracy power-behaved corrections to the integrals in Eq. (10) and hence to the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$. Of course, one can employ the IR matching scheme and Eq. (19) to determine power corrections to the form factor in explicit form. But as we have noted above, in general, the form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ contains an infinite number of IR renormalon poles or stated equivalently, an infinite number of $`f_{2n}(Q)`$ is required to calculate sums like the one presented in Eq. (10). In real numerical computations, in order to reach a good approximation of the series (10), at least a sum of the first $`15÷20`$ terms is needed, meaning the involvement of $`f_{2n}(\mu _I)`$ ($`n=15÷20`$) nonperturbative parameters. But from the experimental data, only the first few moments $`f_p(\mu _I)`$ could be extracted das1 ; mov ; H1 ; NMC . Values for $`f_1(2\mathrm{GeV})`$ (in the literature the notation $`f_1(\mu _I)=\alpha _0(\mu _I)`$ is widely used) range from $`\alpha _0(2\mathrm{GeV})=0.435\pm 0.021`$ das1  and $`\alpha _0(2\mathrm{GeV})=0.513_{0.045}^{+0.066}`$ mov  to $`\alpha _0(2\mathrm{GeV})=0.597_{0.010}^{+0.009}`$ H1 . Here, we write down only sample results, obtained in these works, in order to demonstrate the experimental situation with $`\alpha _0(2\mathrm{GeV})=\mathrm{f}_1(2\mathrm{GeV})`$. For $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})`$ the value $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})0.5`$ was deduced das2 ; web  from the data on structure functions NMC .

In the framework of the RC method, we estimate the same power corrections to a physical quantity, but here we do not need additional information on $`f_p(\mu _I)`$. Moreover, this method gives us the possibility to calculate values of the nonperturbative parameters $`f_p(\mu _I)`$ by means of the formula

$$f_{2n}(\mu _I)=n\frac{4\pi }{\beta _0}\frac{li\left(\stackrel{~}{\lambda }^n\right)}{\stackrel{~}{\lambda }^n},\stackrel{~}{\lambda }=\mu _I^2/\mathrm{\Lambda }^2$$
(22)
that can be easily found by comparing Eqs. (11) and (17). The calculated values of the first few even moments ($`n_f=3,\mathrm{\Lambda }=0.3\mathrm{GeV}`$) are

$$f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})0.535,\mathrm{f}_4(2\mathrm{GeV})0.45,\mathrm{f}_6(2\mathrm{GeV})0.41.$$
(23)
To compare our predictions with those computed via the model $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)`$ (Eq. (21)), we choose $`n_f=3`$ and $`\mathrm{\Lambda }=0.25\mathrm{GeV}`$. The corresponding values are shown below

$$\begin{array}{c}f_2^{\mathrm{RC}}(2\mathrm{GeV})0.479,\mathrm{f}_4^{\mathrm{RC}}(2\mathrm{GeV})0.393,\\ f_2^{\mathrm{mod}}(2\mathrm{GeV})0.450,\mathrm{f}_4^{\mathrm{mod}}(2\mathrm{GeV})0.388.\end{array}$$
(24)
One observes that the parameters $`f_p(\mu _I)`$ of the RC method are in agreement with both the experimental results and the model calculations.

We have noted above that the principal value prescription, adopted in this work in order to regularize divergent integrals (see, Eqs. (5), (10)) generates power-suppressed (higher-twist) uncertainties

$$\underset{q}{}N_q\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }_q(Q^2)}{Q^{2q}},$$
(25)
where $`\{\mathrm{\Phi }_q(Q^2)\}`$ are calculable functions entirely fixed by the residues of the Borel transform $`B[Q^2F_{Mg^{}g^{}}](u)`$ at the poles $`q=u_0`$ and $`\{N_q\}`$ are arbitrary constants to be fixed from experimental data. In the case of the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ electromagnetic transition form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}\gamma }(Q^2)`$, the uncertainties (25) were estimated in Ref. ag1 . For the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson asymptotic DA and for the parameters $`N_1=N_2=1`$ and $`N_1=N_2=1`$, it was found that they do not exceed $`\pm 15\%`$ of the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ form factor. Because the RC method allows one to evaluate power corrections to a physical quantity, in general, and for the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition form factor it has already provided a good agreement with the CLEO data ag1 , one has to introduce the constraint $`\left|N_{1,2}\right|1`$ in order to retain this agreement. In the present work we shall estimate in our numerical analysis the higher-twist uncertainties produced by the principal value prescription by choosing the constants $`\{N_q\}=\pm 1`$. It will be demonstrated that the $`\pm 15\%`$ bounds are valid also for the $`\eta ^{}g,\eta ^{}g^{}`$ transition FF’s. Inclusion of higher-twist corrections, arising from the two particle higher-twist and higher Fock states DA’s of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson, may, in principle, further improve this scheme. These refinements are, however, beyond the scope of the present investigation.

## IV The form factor $`𝐅_{\eta ^{}𝐠^{}𝐠^{}}(𝐐^\mathrm{𝟐},\omega )`$ within the RC method

In this section we calculate the quark and gluon components of the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ within the RC method. We also present our results for $`F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)`$, $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega =0)`$ and the asymptotic limit for the form factor.

### IV.1 Quark component $`𝐅_{\eta ^{}𝐠^{}𝐠^{}}^𝐪(𝐐^\mathrm{𝟐},\omega )`$ of the vertex function

To calculate the quark component of the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )`$, we use Eq. (25) for $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )`$, Eq. (29) for the hard scattering amplitude $`T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega )`$, and the expression for $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ given in Eq. (8). Employing the quark component of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA, $`\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)`$, we get 444In what follows integrals over the variable $`u`$ have to be understood in the sense of the Cauchy principal value.

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )=\frac{32\pi ^2C[1+A(Q^2)]}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)$$

$$\times \left[_0^1\frac{x^{1u}\overline{x}dx}{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}+_0^1\frac{x\overline{x}^{1u}dx}{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}\right]$$

$$+\frac{160\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)[_0^1\frac{x^{2u}\overline{x}^2dx}{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}$$

$$+_0^1\frac{x^2\overline{x}^{2u}dx}{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}].$$
(1)
Using the fact that the integral pr1

$$_0^1x^{\alpha 1}\overline{x}^{\beta 1}(1xr)^\gamma 𝑑x=B(\alpha ,\beta )_2F_1(\gamma ,\alpha ;\alpha +\beta ;r)$$
(2)
is expressible in terms of the Gauss hypergeometric function pr2

$$_2F_1(a,b;c;z)=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{(a)_k(b)_k}{(c)_k}\frac{z^k}{k!},$$
(3)
we obtain

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )=\frac{32\pi ^2C[1+A(Q^2)]}{\beta _0(1+\omega )}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)B(2u,2)$$

$$\times \left[{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,2;4u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })+{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,2u;4u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })\right]$$

$$+\frac{160\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0(1+\omega )}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)B(3u,3)[{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,3;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })$$

$$+{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,3u;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })].$$
(4)
In Eqs. (2) and (3), $`B(x,y)`$ and $`(a)_n`$ are the Beta function and Pochhammer symbols, respectively, defined in terms of the Gamma function $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(z)`$

$$B(x,y)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(x)\mathrm{\Gamma }(y)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(x+y)},(a)_n=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(a+n)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(a)}.$$

From Eq. (4) a simple expression for the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on-shell-gluon transition form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)`$ can be found

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)=\frac{16\pi ^2C[1+A(Q^2)]}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)[B(1,2u)$$

$$+B(2,1u)]+\frac{80\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)[B(3,2u)+B(2,3u)],$$
(5)
where we have used the equality pr2

$$_2F_1(a,b;c;1)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(c)\mathrm{\Gamma }(cab)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(ca)\mathrm{\Gamma }(cb)}.$$
(6)
It is worth noting that Eq. (5) can be obtained from Eq. (25) by employing the $`\omega \pm 1`$ limits of the hard scattering amplitudes (29)

$$T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)+T_2^q(x,Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)=\frac{\pi }{3Q^2}\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})\right]\left[\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{\overline{x}}\right].$$
(7)
In the case of gluons with equal virtualities $`Q_1^2=Q_2^2`$ (and hence in the $`\omega =0`$ case), the form factor can be found employing the expression for the hard-scattering amplitude

$$T_1^q(x,Q^2,\omega =0)+T_2^q(x,Q^2,\omega =0)=\frac{4\pi }{3Q^2}\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})\right].$$
(8)
Calculation leads to the simple expression

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega =0)=\frac{64\pi ^2C(1+A(Q^2))}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)B(2u,2)$$

$$+\frac{320\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)B(3u,3).$$
(9)
Let us note that Eq. (9) can be deduced from Eq. (4) in the limit $`\omega 0`$ by taking into account that pr2

$${}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(a,b;c;0)=1.$$

The next important problem to be solved within the framework of the RC method, is to reveal the IR renormalon poles in Eqs. (4), (5) and (9) because without such a clarification all these expressions would have merely a formal character.

We start from the simple case, i.e., from Eq. (5), and get

$$B(1,2u)+B(2,1u)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(1)\mathrm{\Gamma }(2u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(3u)}+\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\mathrm{\Gamma }(1u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(3u)}$$

$$=\frac{1}{2u}+\frac{1}{(1u)(2u)}=\frac{1}{1u}$$

and

$$B(3,2u)+B(2,3u)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(3)\mathrm{\Gamma }(2u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(5u)}+\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\mathrm{\Gamma }(3u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(5u)}$$

$$=\frac{2}{(2u)(3u)(4u)}+\frac{1}{(3u)(4u)}=\frac{1}{2u}\frac{1}{3u}.$$

In deriving these expressions we used the following property of the Gamma function

$$z\mathrm{\Gamma }(z)=\mathrm{\Gamma }(z+1).$$

Hence we have

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)=\frac{16\pi ^2C[1+A(Q^2)]}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}e^{ut}R(u,t)\frac{du}{1u}$$

$$+\frac{80\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}e^{ut}R(u,t)\left(\frac{1}{2u}\frac{1}{3u}\right)𝑑u.$$
(10)
As one sees, the structure of the IR renormalon poles is very simple; we encounter only a finite number of single poles located at $`u_0=1,\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}\hspace{0.17em}2}`$ and $`3`$.

In the same manner we get from Eq. (9)

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega =0)=\frac{64\pi ^2C(1+A(Q^2))}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\frac{1}{(2u)(3u)}$$

$$+\frac{640\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\frac{1}{(3u)(4u)(5u)}.$$
(11)
In this case the single IR renormalon poles are located at the points $`u_0=2,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}3},\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}4}`$ and $`5`$.

In order to get the IR renormalon structure of the integrands in Eq. (4), we have to expand the hypergeometric function $`{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(a,b;c;z)`$ in powers of $`z`$ (see Eq. (3)), where the condition $`\left|z\right|<1`$ must hold. But the argument of the function $`{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(a,b;c;2\omega /(1+\omega ))`$ satisfies this requirement only in the region $`\omega (0,1)`$. In the region $`\omega (1,0)`$ an expression obtained from (4) by means of a simple transformation (see, (17) below) has to be used because in this case the argument of the hypergeometric function becomes equal to $`2\omega /(\omega 1)<1`$, obeying in the region $`\omega (1,0)`$ the required constraint. But regardless of the expansion region, we obtain in both cases the same IR renormalon structure. Adding to this argumentation the evident fact that the vertex function is symmetric under the replacement $`\omega \omega `$ (cf. Eq. (27)), we can restrict the study of the form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )`$ to the region $`\omega (0,1)`$. Then, we can expand the hypergeometric functions $`{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(a,b;c;2\omega /(1+\omega ))`$ in the region $`\omega (0,1)`$, via Eq. (3). For example, for one of these functions, we get

$$B(2,2u)_2F_1(1,2;4u;\beta )=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\mathrm{\Gamma }(2u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(4u)}\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{(1)_k(2)_k}{(4u)_k}\frac{\beta ^k}{k!}$$

$$=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+2)\mathrm{\Gamma }(2u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+4u)}\beta ^k=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}B(k+2,2u)\beta ^k$$

with

$$\beta =\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega }.$$

The remaining terms in Eq. (4) can be treated in the same manner and as a result we obtain

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )=\frac{32\pi ^2C[1+A(Q^2)]}{\beta _0(1+\omega )}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)$$

$$\times \underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}[B(2u,k+2)+B(2,k+2u)]\beta ^k$$

$$+\frac{160\pi ^2CA(Q^2)}{\beta _0(1+\omega )}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\left[B(3u,k+3)+B(3,k+3u)\right]\beta ^k.$$
(12)
The IR renormalon structure of the integrands in Eq. (12) is quite clear now. In fact, we can write the Beta functions entering Eq. (12) in the following form

$$B(2,k+2u)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+2u)}{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+4u)}=\frac{1}{(k+2u)(k+3u)}$$

and correspondingly

$$B(2u,k+2)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+2)}{(2u)(3u)\mathrm{}(k+3u)},$$

$$B(3,k+3u)=\frac{2}{(k+3u)(k+4u)(k+5u)},$$

$$B(3u,k+3)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+3)}{(3u)(4u)\mathrm{}(k+5u)}.$$

Here we have an infinite number of single IR renormalon poles located at the points $`u_0=k+2,k+3;u_0=2,\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}3},\mathrm{}k+3;u_0=k+3,k+4,k+5`$ and $`u_0=3,\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}4},\mathrm{}k+5`$, respectively.

The last question to be answered is, whether one can use our results, obtained in the context of the RC method, in the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ in order to regain the asymptotic form of the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2\mathrm{},\omega )`$. It is clear that regardless of the methods employed and the approximations done, in the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )`$ must reach its asymptotic form. This is true, of course, for our computations, as we estimate power-suppressed corrections to the form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )`$, which become important in a region of $`Q^2`$ of a few GeV2, but vanish in the asymptotic limit. As we have emphasized in Sect. II, in the asymptotic limit the gluon DA of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson satisfies $`\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)0`$ and hence

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}0.$$

The DA of the quark component $`\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)`$ of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson evolves for $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ to the asymptotic DA (37) and all non-asymptotic terms in $`\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)`$ proportional to $`C_n^{3/2}(x\overline{x}),n>0`$ (in our case $`A(Q^2)`$) vanish. Therefore, the results, which we shall obtain here, describe not only the asymptotic limit of $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega )`$, but also the asymptotic limit of the vertex function $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ itself.

In the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ the asymmetry parameter can take values $`\omega \pm 1`$ (if we pass to the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ at fixed $`Q_2^2`$ or $`Q_1^2`$), $`\omega =0`$ ($`Q_1^2=Q_2^2`$ and $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$) or $`\omega \pm 1,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0}`$ (if we take the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ at fixed $`\omega `$). We consider here all possibilities: a) $`Q^2\mathrm{},\omega \pm 1`$, b) $`Q^2\mathrm{},\omega =0`$ and c) $`Q^2\mathrm{},\omega \pm 1,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0}`$. In the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$, we also take into account that the second term in the expansion $`\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)`$ (8) has to be neglected. In other words, in the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$, we find

$$_0^{\mathrm{}}e^{ut}R(u,t)𝑑u_0^{\mathrm{}}e^{ut}𝑑u.$$
(13)
We begin from the simpler case a). In Eq. (10) we have already obtained the desired limit, but $`A(Q^2)0`$. Taking into account Eq. (13) and $`A(Q^2)0`$, we get

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\frac{16\pi ^2C}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}\frac{e^{ut}du}{1u}=\frac{16\pi ^2C}{\beta _0}\frac{li(\lambda )}{\lambda }.$$

It is easy to show that using only the leading term in the expansion of $`li(\lambda )/\lambda `$ (see, Eq. (15)), we find

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}4\pi C\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2).$$
(14)
The limit $`Q^2\mathrm{},\omega =0`$ can be analyzed by similar means. Thus, from Eq. (11) we get

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega =0)\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\frac{64\pi ^2C}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}\frac{e^{ut}du}{(2u)(3u)}$$

$$=\frac{64\pi ^2C}{\beta _0}\left[\frac{li(\lambda ^2)}{\lambda ^2}\frac{li(\lambda ^3)}{\lambda ^3}\right],$$

which in the limit under consideration simplifies to

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega =0)\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\frac{8\pi C\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{3}.$$
(15)
Now let us consider the more interesting case c). Then, from Eqs. (4) and (13), we obtain

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\frac{32\pi ^2C}{\beta _0(1+\omega )}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}B(2,2u)$$

$$\times \left[{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,2;4u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })+{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,2u;4u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })\right].$$
(16)
As an example, we analyze the second term in Eq. (16) (see also Eq. (12))

$$_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}B(2,2u)_2F_1(1,2u;4u;\beta )=_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}B(2,k+2u)\beta ^k$$

$$=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\beta ^k_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}\left(\frac{1}{k+2u}\frac{1}{k+3u}\right)=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\left[\frac{li(\lambda ^{k+2})}{\lambda ^{k+2}}\frac{li(\lambda ^{k+3})}{\lambda ^{k+3}}\right]\beta ^k.$$

In the considered limit, one finds

$$\frac{li(\lambda ^{k+2})}{\lambda ^{k+2}}\frac{li(\lambda ^{k+3})}{\lambda ^{k+3}}\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }\left(\frac{1}{k+2}\frac{1}{k+3}\right)=\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }\frac{1}{(k+2)(k+3)}.$$

Then, the result reads

$$\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)\left[\frac{li(\lambda ^{k+2})}{\lambda ^{k+2}}\frac{li(\lambda ^{k+3})}{\lambda ^{k+3}}\right]\beta ^k\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)}{(k+2)(k+3)}\beta ^k$$

$$=\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}B(2,k+2)\beta ^k=\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }B(2,2)_2F_1(1,2;4;\beta ).$$

The same method can be applied to the first function in Eq. (16). But before doing that, it is instructive to employ the transformation

$${}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(a,b,c;z)=(1z)^a{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(a,cb,c;\frac{z}{z1}).$$
(17)
After performing all these operations we find

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}\frac{64\pi ^2C}{\beta _0(1+\omega )}\frac{1}{\mathrm{ln}\lambda }B(2,2)_2F_1(1,2;4;\beta )$$

$$=\frac{8\pi C\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{3(1+\omega )}_2F_1(1,2;4;\beta ).$$
(18)
Taking into account the expression for the hypergeometric function $`{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,2;4;\beta )`$ in terms of elementary ones pr2

$$_2F_1(1,2;4;\beta )=\frac{3}{\beta ^3}[\beta (2\beta )+2(1\beta )\mathrm{ln}(1\beta )],$$
(19)
we finally obtain

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )\stackrel{Q^2\mathrm{}}{}4\pi C\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)f(\omega ),f(\omega )=\frac{1}{\omega ^2}\left(1+\frac{1\omega ^2}{2\omega }\mathrm{ln}\frac{1\omega }{1+\omega }\right).$$
(20)
In our argumentations we have tacitly assumed that $`\omega (0,1)`$. But Eq. (20) holds for all values of $`\omega \pm 1,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}0}`$, which is evident from the equality $`f(\omega )=f(\omega )`$.

Equations (14), (15) and (20) can be obtained in the standard HSA using the corresponding hard-scattering amplitudes (7), (8) and (19). The analysis carried out so far proves the correctness of the RC method leading to the expected expressions for the form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ at $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ and demonstrating at the same time the consistency of the symmetrization of the hard-scattering amplitudes (29), (30).

### IV.2 Contribution of the gluon component of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson to the form factor $`𝐅_{\eta ^{}𝐠^{}𝐠^{}}(𝐐^\mathrm{𝟐},\omega )`$

The contribution of the gluon component of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson to the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ can be computed using the methods described in the previous subsection.

Using Eq. (30) for the hard-scattering amplitude $`T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega )`$, Eq. (26) and the gluon component of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA, we have for the gluon part of the form factor

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )=\frac{4\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)[_0^1dxx^{1u}\overline{x}(x\overline{x})$$

$$\frac{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}{\omega \left[(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x\right]}+_0^1dxx\overline{x}^{1u}(x\overline{x})\frac{(1+\omega )x+(1\omega )\overline{x}}{\omega \left[(1+\omega )\overline{x}+(1\omega )x\right]}],$$
(21)
which after some simple calculations becomes

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )=\frac{4\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0\omega }_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)\{B(4u,2){}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,4u;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })$$

$$+B(4,2u)_2F_1(1,4;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })$$

$$\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega }B(3,3u)\left[{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,3u;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })+{}_{2}{}^{}F_{1}^{}(1,3;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })\right]$$

$$\frac{1\omega }{1+\omega }[B(2u,4)_2F_1(1,2u;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })+B(2,4u)_2F_1(1,2;6u;\frac{2\omega }{1+\omega })]\}.$$
(22)
For the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on-shell-gluon transition, we find

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)=\frac{4\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)$$

$$\times \left[B(1,4u)+B(4,1u)B(2,3u)B(3,2u)\right],$$
(23)
or equivalently

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)=\frac{4\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\left(\frac{1}{1u}\frac{4}{2u}+\frac{4}{3u}\right).$$
(24)
The form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega =0)`$ can be calculated by employing the following form for the hard-scattering amplitude

$$T_1^g(x,Q^2,\omega )T_2^g(x,Q^2,\omega )=\frac{2\pi }{3Q^2}\left[\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2x)+\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2\overline{x})\right]\frac{x\overline{x}}{1\omega ^2(x\overline{x})^2},$$
(25)
which for $`\omega =0`$ leads to a very simple expression. Then, it is not difficult to demonstrate that

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega =0)=\frac{16\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)[B(4u,2)$$

$$2B(3u,3)+B(2u,4)].$$
(26)
This latter expression can be recast into the form

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega =0)=\frac{16\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)[\frac{1}{2u}$$

$$\frac{5}{3u}+\frac{8}{4u}\frac{4}{5u}].$$
(27)
The IR renormalon structure of the integrands in Eq. (24) and (27) is obvious: they have a finite number of IR renormalon poles located at the points $`u_0=1,2,3`$ and $`u_0=2,3,4,5`$, respectively. In order to find the IR renormalon structure of the integrand in Eq. (22), we expand the corresponding hypergeometric functions over $`\beta =2\omega /(1+\omega )`$ in the region $`\omega (0,1)`$, providing the following result

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}^g(Q^2,\omega )=\frac{4\pi ^2CB(Q^2)}{3\beta _0\omega }_0^{\mathrm{}}due^{ut}R(u,t)\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\{[B(k+4,2u)$$

$$+B(k+4u,2)]\beta ^k\frac{1\omega }{1+\omega }[B(k+2,4u)+B(k+2u,4)]\beta ^k$$

$$[B(k+3,3u)+B(k+3u,3)]\beta ^{k+1}\}.$$
(28)
Using the identities

$$B(k+4,2u)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+4)}{(2u)(3u)\mathrm{}(k+5u)},$$

$$B(k+4u,2)=\frac{1}{(k+4u)(k+5u)},$$

$$B(k+2,4u)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+2)}{(4u)(5u)\mathrm{}(k+5u)},$$

$$B(k+2u,4)=\frac{6}{(k+2u)(k+3u)(k+4u)(k+5u)},$$

$$B(k+3,3u)=\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+3)}{(3u)(4u)\mathrm{}(k+5u)},$$

$$B(k+3u,3)=\frac{2}{(k+3u)(k+4u)(k+5u)}$$

it is easy to conclude that there is an infinite number of IR renormalon poles, being located at the points $`u_0=2,3,\mathrm{}k+5`$; $`u_0=k+4,k+5`$; $`u_0=4,5,\mathrm{}k+5`$; $`u_0=k+2,k+3,k+4,k+5`$; $`u_0=3,4,\mathrm{}k+5`$ and $`u_0=k+3,k+4,k+5`$.

## V Numerical analysis

We begin this section by comparing the results obtained with the RC method with those from the IR matching scheme. In Sect. III we have noted that from experimental data only values of the nonperturbative parameters $`f_1(2\mathrm{GeV})`$ and $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})`$ have been extracted. We also know that the lowest-order moment integral and hence the parameter entering our formulas is $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})`$. Therefore, to make the comparison as clear as possible, we should choose the input parameters for the $`\eta ^{}`$-virtual gluon transition in such a way as to determine the behavior of the form factor solely with $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})`$. This can be easily achieved if we set for the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA parameters

$$B_2^q(\mu _0^2)=0,B_2^g(\mu _0^2)=0.$$

Under these circumstances, the gluon component of the vertex function vanishes. To remove from the analysis the higher-moment integrals $`f_p(Q),p>2`$, we consider only the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on-shell-gluon transition, i.e., the $`\omega =\pm 1`$ case. Moreover, we neglect the $`\alpha _S^2`$ order term in Eq. (2) and set in Eq. (8) $`R(u,t)=1`$ because in Eq. (19) $`\alpha _s`$ is used at the level of the one-loop order accuracy. After these simplifications, the FF is given by the following expression

$$Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)=\frac{16\pi ^2C}{\beta _0}_0^{\mathrm{}}\frac{e^{ut}du}{1u}=4\pi Cf_2(Q).$$
(1)
Results of our computations are shown in Fig. 3, where in order to distinguish the various curves, these are displayed in the region of $`Q^2[1,4]`$ GeV2, whereas at higher $`Q^2`$ they are close to each other. The RC method and the IR matching scheme555Note that in the calculations within the IR matching scheme, Eq. (19) with $`N=4`$ has been used. both lead almost to identical predictions in the entire domain $`1\mathrm{GeV}^2Q^225\mathrm{GeV}^2`$, provided that in the IR matching scheme one uses in expression (19) the value $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})0.535`$ found within the RC method (23). The curve following from the IR matching scheme deviates from the prediction obtained with the RC method only for $`Q^2<1.4\mathrm{GeV}^2`$. On the other hand, the deviation of that curve, calculated using the experimental value $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})0.5`$, from the result of the RC method is sizeable in the region $`Q^2=1÷2\mathrm{GeV}^2`$, reaching $`30\%`$ at $`Q^2=1\mathrm{GeV}^2`$. A similar behavior was observed in the calculation of the pion electromagnetic form factor, carried out within the context of these methods ag4 . The difference between the solid and the dot-dashed lines in Fig. 3 is considerably reduced when varying the QCD scale parameter $`\mathrm{\Lambda }=0.3\mathrm{GeV}`$ or the experimental value of $`f_2(2\mathrm{GeV})`$ within their corresponding uncertainty limits. But we are not going to make decisive conclusions from these rather model-dependent calculations. Our aim here is to check and demonstrate that the RC method and the IR matching scheme predict in the considered region $`1\mathrm{GeV}^2Q^225\mathrm{GeV}^2`$ almost identical results that do not contradict experiment.

In order to proceed with the computation of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson gluon vertex function and explore the role played by the $`\eta ^{}`$ gluon content in this process, we have to define the allowed values of the free input parameters $`B_2^q`$ and $`B_2^g`$ at the normalization point $`\mu _0^2=1\mathrm{GeV}^2`$. These parameters determine the shape of the DA’s of the quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson and, in general, they have to be extracted from experimental data or computed by non-perturbative techniques. The comparison of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson photon electromagnetic transition FF $`F_{\eta ^{}\gamma }(Q^2)`$ with the CLEO data leads to the conclusion that the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA must be close to its asymptotic form with a coefficient $`B_2^q0.1`$ deduced in ag1 . But this conclusion was made by neglecting the contribution of the gluon component of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson to the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ transition FF. The investigation of the FF $`F_{\eta ^{}\gamma }(Q^2)`$ was extended and revised in ag10 . In fact, in this work the FF $`F_{\eta ^{}\gamma }(Q^2)`$ was computed within the RC method by taking into account contributions arising due to both the quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson DA. The comparison with the CLEO data demonstrated that allowed values of the Gegenbauer coefficients $`B_2^q(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)`$ and $`B_2^g(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)`$ are strongly correlated. They were extracted in Ref. ag10  and read

$$B_2^q(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)=0,B_2^g(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)[4,18],$$

$$B_2^q(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)=0.05,B_2^g(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)[0,16],$$
(2)
and

$$B_2^q(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)=0.1,B_2^g(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)[2,14].$$
(3)
In the present paper we select values of the parameters $`B_2^q(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)`$ and $`B_2^g(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)`$ that obey the constraints (2) and (3).

It is evident that the non-asymptotic terms in the quark and gluon DA’s of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson proportional to $`A(Q^2)`$ and $`B(Q^2)`$, respectively, affect the asymptotic value of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson-gluon transition form factor. Therefore, before presenting contributions from these terms, it is instructive to study the asymptotic FF itself. In the left panel of Fig. 4, we depict the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson - virtual gluon transition FF as a function of the gluon virtuality $`Q^2`$. For the asymptotic DA the quark component of the form factor coincides with the full one. In the same figure the predictions obtained within the standard HSA are also shown. One sees that in the domain $`1\mathrm{GeV}^2\mathrm{Q}^225\mathrm{GeV}^2`$ the standard pQCD results get enhanced by approximately a factor of two due to power corrections. A similar conclusion is valid also for the gluon component of the form factor (right panel in Fig. 4, computed by employing the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA’s).

Here some comments concerning the accuracy of the numerical computations are in order. In Fig. 4 (left panel) and in the following ones, the curves obtained within the RC method, as a rule, require a summation of an infinite series. In real numerical computations we truncate such a series at some $`k=K_{max}`$. Naturally, the question arises about the convergence rate of this series. Let us explain this problem by considering Fig. 4 as an example. The solid curve with $`\omega =0.5`$ in Fig. 4 (left panel) has been found within the RC method by employing Eq. (12). This expression contains a series with factorially growing coefficients. For definiteness we analyze the term

$$_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}B(k+2,2u)\beta ^k$$

$$=\underset{k=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\frac{\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+2)}{(2u)(3u)\mathrm{}(k+3u)}\beta ^k.$$
(4)
The expansion parameter $`\beta =2\omega /(1+\omega )`$ in Eq. (4) at the point $`\omega =0.5`$ is equal to $`\beta =2/3`$. Below, we write down the values of the Gamma function $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(k+2)=(k+1)!`$ and also those of the product of $`\beta ^k`$ with the principal value of the integral

$$I(k)=_0^{\mathrm{}}𝑑ue^{ut}R(u,t)\frac{\beta ^k}{(2u)(3u)\mathrm{}(k+3u)}$$
(5)
for $`k=0`$, $`5`$ and $`10`$

$$\mathrm{\Gamma }(2)=1,\mathrm{\Gamma }(7)=720,\mathrm{\Gamma }(12)=3.9916810^7,$$

and

$$I(0)0.09041,I(5)2.4406110^6,I(10)1.3156810^{12}.$$

As a result, the corresponding terms in the sum given by Eq. (4) take the values

$$0.09041,1.7572410^3,5.2517710^5,$$

respectively. The calculations above have been performed at $`Q^2=2\mathrm{GeV}^2`$. At the momentum transfer $`Q^2=20\mathrm{GeV}^2`$ we get

$$0.03898,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}\hspace{0.33em}\hspace{0.33em}7.59618}10^4,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}\hspace{0.33em}4.42997}10^5.$$

One observes that the convergence rates of the numerical series are high and that we can therefore truncate them, as a rule, at $`K_{\mathrm{max}}=20`$.

We have analyzed the impact of the various DA’s of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson on the $`\eta ^{}g`$ transition form factor. The quark component of the FF is stable for different values of $`B_2^g[0,8]`$. It is difficult to distinguish the corresponding curves and therefore in Fig. 5a we can only plot some of them. In contrast, the gluon component of the form factor demonstrates a rapid growth with $`B_2^g`$ (Fig. 5b). As a result, due to different signs of the quark

and gluon components of the space-like vertex function, the total vertex function $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)`$ for $`B_2^g0`$ lies below the asymptotic one (Fig. 6a). Comparing the predictions derived within the RC method with those following from the standard HSA (Fig. 6b), we see a quantitative difference between corresponding curves.

The dependence of the quark and gluon components of the form factor on the asymmetry parameter $`\omega `$ at fixed $`Q^2`$ and for various DA’s of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson are shown in Fig. 7.

Because $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ is symmetric under the exchange $`\omega \omega `$, we present our results in the region $`0\omega 1`$ only. We have just demonstrated in Fig. 5 that the quark component of the FF $`F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}^q(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)`$ is not sensitive to the use of various $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA’s, employed in our calculations. This is valid also for its behavior as a function of $`\omega `$ (Fig. 7a). In accordance with our computations, an effect of the chosen parameter $`B_2^g`$ on the gluon component of the FF is considerable in the whole range of $`\omega [0,1]`$.

The magnitude of the quark and gluon components of the form factor for a given DA depends on the total gluon virtuality $`Q^2`$ (Fig. 8). In this case both the quark and gluon contributions to the FF demonstrate sensitivity to the fixed value of $`Q^2`$.

The features of the quark and gluon components of the $`\eta ^{}g^{}`$ transition FF described above determine the behavior of their sum as a function of the asymmetry parameter $`\omega `$ and, as a result, we get the picture shown in Fig. 9a. Owing to the gluon component, the form factor $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ depends on the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson DA used in the calculations. For comparison, in Fig. 9b the curves found within the standard HSA are also shown. An enhancement of about a factor of two of the vertex function due to power corrections is evident.

The $`\eta ^{}g^{}`$ transition FF as function of the first gluon virtuality $`Q_1^2`$ at various fixed values of the second one, $`Q_2^2`$, and for different DA’s is plotted in Fig. 10.

As we have noted in Sect. III, the principal value prescription, adopted in this work to regularize divergent integrals, produces higher-twist ambiguities. It is important to clarify to what extent these ambiguities may alter our predictions. To illustrate this effect, we depict in Fig. 11, as an example, the scaled $`\eta ^{}g`$ transition FF $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}gg^{}}(Q^2,\omega =\pm 1)`$. The higher-twist ambiguities lead approximately to $`\pm 15\%`$ shifts relative to the previous RC result (line $`2`$). On the other hand, comparing the standard pQCD prediction (solid line 1) with the lower dashed line (that denotes the RC prediction with a negative higher-twist ambiguity), we see that still the power corrections provide an enhancement of the standard pQCD result by a factor $`2`$ in the region $`Q^212\mathrm{GeV}^2`$ and by a factor $`1.6`$ at $`Q^2=25\mathrm{GeV}^2`$. This latter effect is connected not only to larger uncertainties, but also reflects the general trend of the FF to reach its asymptotic value, i. e., the line $`1`$ in the limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$.

## VI Concluding remarks

In this paper we have evaluated power-suppressed corrections $`1/Q^{2n},n=1,2\mathrm{}`$ to the space-like $`\eta ^{}`$-meson virtual-gluon transition form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$. To this end, we have employed the standard hard-scattering approach and the running-coupling method in conjunction with the infrared-renormalon calculus. In the calculations, both the quark and the gluon distribution amplitudes of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson have been taken into account. In these model DA’s only the first non-asymptotic terms have been retained and the values of the input coefficients $`B_2^q(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)`$ and $`B_2^g(1\mathrm{GeV}^2)`$ extracted from the analysis of the CLEO data on the $`\eta ^{}\gamma `$ electromagnetic transition FF have been employed.

In order to apply the RC method to the considered process, the hard-scattering amplitudes of the corresponding subprocesses have been generalized in such a way as to preserve the symmetry properties of both the hard-scattering amplitudes and the transition form factor itself under the replacements $`x\overline{x}`$ and $`\omega \omega `$. In the computations within the RC method, the Laplace transformed expression for the running coupling has been employed. The Borel resummed form factors, obtained this way, have been regularized by means of the principal value prescription. Various limits of the general expression $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$ have been found.

Our expressions for the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$, found within the standard HSA, are in agreement with corresponding predictions made in Ref. pas  (up to a conventional sign factor). It has been demonstrated that (see Eq. (27)) both the quark and the gluon components of the vertex function are symmetric under the exchange $`\omega \omega `$, as they must be owing to the Bose symmetry of the final gluons. The RC method has provided us a tool for estimating power corrections to the vertex function $`F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$. These corrections are implicitly contained in the pQCD factorization formulas (14), (15) and originate from the end-point $`x0;1`$ regions. It is clear that such corrections cannot been taken into account in the standard pQCD approach by freezing the renormalization scale $`\mu _R^2`$ and ignoring its dependence on the longitudinal momentum fraction $`x`$. As an important consistency check, we have proven that the results obtained with the RC method in the asymptotic limit $`Q^2\mathrm{}`$ reproduce the standard pQCD predictions for the vertex function. This provides further justification for the treatment of the hard-scattering amplitudes (29), (30), and the symmetrization procedure employed in the running coupling method.

The presented numerical analysis shows that power corrections considerably enhance the standard pQCD predictions for the form factor in the explored region $`1\mathrm{GeV}^2\mathrm{Q}^225\mathrm{GeV}^2`$, though other sources, not considered here, may also give rise to power corrections. Our investigations demonstrate that the quark component of the form factor at fixed $`B_2^q=0.1`$ is practically stable for several values of $`B_2^g=0,\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}2},\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}4},\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}6},\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}8}`$. Contrary to this, the gluon component of the FF is sensitive to the adopted value of $`B_2^g`$. As a consequence, the $`\eta ^{}g^{}`$ transition FF was found to depend on the gluonic content of the $`\eta ^{}`$ meson. In the considered region the gluon contribution reduces the absolute value of the space-like form factor $`Q^2F_{\eta ^{}g^{}g^{}}(Q^2,\omega )`$.

As is true of any technique for calculating power corrections, the theoretical framework elaborated in the present work makes assumptions about the regularization of endpoint divergences. There are of course other possibilities. Nevertheless, we believe that our method is useful in pQCD analyses of the $`B`$ meson exclusive decays and heavy-to-light $`B\pi ,\rho `$ transition form factors in the domain of moderate momentum transfers. A generalization of the RC method to describe time-like transitions as well as its combination with resummation techniques to include Sudakov logarithms will be the subject of separate investigations.

Acknowledgments

One of the authors (S.S.A.) would like to thank Prof. S. Randjbar-Daemi and the High Energy Section members for their hospitality at the Abdus Salam ICTP, where this work was started and Prof. K. Goeke and the members of the Institute for Theoretical Physics II, where this investigation was completed. Both of us wish to thank M. Polyakov, A. Bakulev, A. Belitsky, and K. Passek-Kumerički for useful comments. The financial support by DAAD (S.S.A.) is gratefully acknowledged.

## Appendix A

In this Appendix we collect expressions for the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson quark and gluon DA’s for $`n_f=4`$. The parameters (38) which determine these DA’s assume the following values

$$\gamma _{gg}^2=\frac{35}{3},\gamma _{qg}^2=4,\gamma _+^2\frac{48}{9},\gamma _{}^2\frac{107}{9},$$

$$\rho _2^q\frac{19}{5},\rho _2^g\frac{1}{102}.$$

It is evident that the elements of the anomalous dimensitions matrix $`\gamma _{qq}^2`$ and $`\gamma _{gq}^2`$ are $`n_f`$ independent and have the values shown in Eq. (38).

In the $`n_f=4`$ case the DA’s $`\varphi ^q(x,Q^2)`$ and $`\varphi ^g(x,Q^2)`$ of the $`\eta ^{}`$-meson have the form (39) as well, the only difference being in the functions $`A(Q^2)`$ and $`B(Q^2)`$, which now are defined by the expressions

$$A(Q^2)=6B_2^q\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{48}{75}}\frac{B_2^g}{17}\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{107}{75}}$$

$$B(Q^2)=19B_2^q\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{48}{75}}+5B_2^g\left(\frac{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(Q^2)}{\alpha _\mathrm{s}(\mu _0^2)}\right)^{\frac{107}{75}}.$$
(A.1)
In the previous sections all results have been written down for $`n_f=3`$ valid for a momentum transfers $`1\mathrm{GeV}^2Q^2<2\mathrm{GeV}^2`$. For momentum transfers in the range $`2\mathrm{GeV}^2Q^225\mathrm{GeV}^2`$, the choice $`n_f=4`$ has to be employed. In this case, the expressions that determine the quark component of the transition FF remain unchanged, except for the function $`A(Q^2)`$ (and $`\beta _0`$, $`R(u,t)`$), which should be taken from Eq. (A.1). The expressions for the gluon component of the FF have to be rescaled by a factor $`3/4`$— apart from the replacement of the function $`B(Q^2)`$ (and $`\beta _0`$, $`R(u,t)`$)—since the hard-scattering amplitudes $`T_{1(2)}^g(x,Q^2,\omega )`$ explicitly depend on $`n_f`$ (30).