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Abstract

The nature of light scalar mesons remains an unsolved puzzle in hadron physics, complicated by their large widths and controversial partonic structure. We propose to resolve this problem in a comprehensive study of isoscalar two-pion state ($[\pi\pi]_{\rm S}$), the signal channel of $f_0(980)$, through its light-cone distribution amplitudes ($2\pi$DAs). A key finding is that charge parity forces the twist-3 $2\pi$DAs to be asymmetric in the momentum fractions of the quark and antiquark. This property stands in stark contrast to the symmetric twist-3 distribution amplitudes of a conventional $f_0(980)$ meson, as derived from QCD sum rules in the narrow-width approximation. We calculate the $D_s \to [\pi\pi]_{\rm S}$ transition form factors and discover a significant cancellation between the twist-2 and twist-3 contributions. This leads to a QCD prediction for the $D_s^+ \to [\pi\pi]_{\rm S} e^+ \nu_e$ decay width that is significantly smaller than the experimental measurement. Our results indicate that the lowest Fock state is not the dominant configuration of the isoscalar two-pion state produced in charm decays, in contrast to the case in $B$ decays. Future precision measurements can constrain the high-twist $2\pi$DAs associated with multi-particle Fock states, offering a new path to elucidate the structure of the light scalar mesons.