Tensor form factors of nucleon in QCD

We extract the isovector tensor nucleon form factors, which play an important role in understanding the transverse spin structure of the nucleon when related to the quark helicity-flip generalized parton distributions via their first moments. We employ the light-cone QCD sum rules to leading order in QCD and include distribution amplitudes up to twist 6 in order to calculate the three tensor form factors H-T. E-T and (H) over bar (T). Our results agree well with those from other approaches in the low and high momentum-transfer regions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.