$Q^2$ Dependence of Quadrupole Strength in the $γ^*p\toΔ^+(1232)\to p π^0$ Transition

Models of baryon structure predict a small quadrupole deformation of the nucleon due to residual tensor forces between quarks or distortions from the pion cloud. Sensitivity to quark versus pion degrees of freedom occurs through the $Q^2$ dependence of the magnetic ($M_{1+}$), electric ($E_{1+}$), and scalar ($S_{1+}$) multipoles in the $γ^* p \to Δ^+ \to p π^0$ transition. We report new experimental values for the ratios $E_{1+}/M_{1+}$ and $S_{1+}/M_{1+}$ over the range $Q^2$= 0.4-1.8 GeV$^2$, extracted from precision $p(e,e 'p)π^{\circ}$ data using a truncated multipole expansion. Results are best described by recent unitary models in which the pion cloud plays a dominant role.