Pion Electroproduction and VCS at the \Delta(1232) Resonance Region

Abstract

The study of the $\gamma^* N\rightarrow \Delta$ reaction presents the best quantitative method to explore the deviation of hadron shapes from spherical symmetry (nonspherical amplitudes). Significant non-spherical electric (E2) and Coulomb quadrupole (C2) amplitudes have been observed with good precision as a function of $Q^2$ from photon point up to $\approx 7 ~(GeV/c)^2$. Quark model calculations for these quadrupole amplitudes are at least an order of magnitude too small and even have the wrong sign. Lattice QCD, chiral effective field theory, and dynamic model calculations which include the effects of the pion-cloud are in approximate agreement with experiment.