The electromagnetic form factors of the trinucleons ${}^3\mathrm{H}$ and ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ are calculated with wave functions obtained with the Argonne $v_{18}$ two-nucleon and Urbana IX three-nucleon interactions. Full account is taken of the two-body currents required by current conservation with the $v_{18}$ interaction as well as those associated with $N\Delta$ transition currents and the currents of Δ resonance components in the wave functions. Explicit three-nucleon current operators associated with the two-pion exchange three-nucleon interaction arising from irreducible $S$-wave pion-nucleon scattering are constructed and shown to have very little effect on the calculated magnetic form factors. The calculated magnetic form factor of ${}^3\mathrm{H},$ and charge form factors of both ${}^3\mathrm{H}$ and ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data. However, the position of the zero in the magnetic form factor of ${}^3\mathrm{He}$ is slightly underpredicted.

• Received 26 May 1998

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.58.3069