The physical nucleon is modeled as a bare nucleon surrounded by a pion cloud using a psuedoscalar pion-nucleon coupling to examine its implications for the neutron form factor, $F_1(Q^2)$, and the corresponding transverse charge density, $\rho (b)$, in the infinite momentum frame. Two versions, one with a tunable Pauli-Villars parameter and another with light-front cloudy-bag pion-nucleon form factors, are examined. A qualitative agreement with the experimental form factor ($F_1<0$ for all $Q^2$) and transverse charge density is achieved when the nucleon is treated as having a finite extent. The bare nucleon must have a finite extent if this model is to account for a negative definite $F_1$ and consequently a negative transverse charge density of the neutron at its center.

• Received 14 July 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.80.025206