ω-πγ transition form factor in proton-proton collisions

Dalitz decays of ω and ρ mesons, ω→π0γ* →π0 e+ e- and ρ0 →π0γ* →π0 e+ e-, produced in pp collisions are calculated within a covariant effective meson-nucleon theory. We argue that the ω transition form factor Fω→π0γ* is experimentally accessible in a fairly model-independent way in the reaction pp→ppπ0e+e- for invariant masses of the π0e+e- subsystem near the ω pole. Numerical results are presented for the intermediate-energy kinematics of envisaged HADES experiments. (orig.)