Deuteron electromagnetic form-factors in the transitional region between nucleon - meson and quark - gluon pictures

Experimental observables of elastic ed scattering in the region of intermediate energies are discussed. We offer the analysis of the available experimental data, which reproduces the results of the calculations with popular NN potentials at low energies [Q{sup 2} {much_lt} l(GeV/c){sup 2}], but at the same time, provides the right asymptotic behavior of the deuteron e.m. form factors following from the quark counting rules at high energies [Q{sup 2} {much_gt} 1(GeV/c){sup 2}]. The numerical analysis developed allows certain estimations of the characteristic energy scale at which the consideration of quark-gluon degrees of freedom in the deuteron becomes essential. 20 refs., 10 figs., 2 tabs.