Electromagnetic form factors of the nucleon in a relativistic quark pair creation model

We study the effects of the \ qqq q (q) over bar > component of the hadronic wave function on the description of the electromagnetic structure of the nucleon. Starting with a 3q baryonic wave function which describes the baryonic and mesonic low-energy spectrum, the extra q (q) over bar pair is generated through a relativistic version of the P-3(0) model, It is shown that this model leads to a renormalization of the quark mass that allows one to construct a conserved electromagnetic current. We conclude that these dynamical relativistic corrections play an important role in reproducing the Q(2) dependence of the electromagnetic form factors at low Q(2). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.