Charge form factors and nucleon shape

To obtain further information on the geometric shape of the nucleon, the proton charge form factor is decomposed into two terms, which are connected respectively with a spherically symmetric and an intrinsic quadrupole part of the proton's charge density. Quark model relations are employed to derive expressions for both terms. In particular, the proton's intrinsic quadrupole form factor is obtained from a relation between the N -> Delta and neutron charge form factors. The proposed decomposition shows that the neutron charge form factor is an observable manifestation of an intrinsic quadrupole form factor of the nucleon. Furthermore, it affords an interpretation of recent electron-nucleon scattering data in terms of a nonspherical distribution of quark-antiquark pairs in the nucleon.