New phenomenological extraction of the nucleon charge size scale: The baryonic core and quark-antiquark meson cloud radii
Phys. Rev. C 112, 045201 – Published 8 October, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x25k-26xc
Abstract
In this work, I present new extractions of the proton's and neutron's conventional charge radii. This analysis is based on two-photon-exchange (TPE) corrected elastic electron-proton cross section data from the Mainz experiment, covering the range , and updated neutron electric data spanning . Both form factors were fit independently using various functional forms and parametrizations that enforce proper low- constraints. Charge radii were extracted from fits over multiple intervals, with final values obtained from statistically stable regions. The resulting proton charge radius is consistent with both PRad I and muonic hydrogen results, and falls within the range of values reported in recent reanalyses. The neutron charge radius also agrees with modern determinations. Additionally, the charge radii of the baryonic core (three valence quarks) and quark-antiquark meson cloud components of the nucleon are extracted. My results support the -fermi size scale of the baryonic core, and of the mesonic cloud of the nucleon, in good agreement with lattice QCD calculations based on dispersion relations and the functional spectral analysis approach. The flavor-separated mean-squared transverse charge distributions of the up- and down-quark radii are also studied, revealing subtle but non-negligible differences in their spatial extent.