The intrinsic gluon component of the nucleon

Using an intrinsic parton model we estimate the rough shape and size of the intrinsic gluon component of the nucleon, corresponding to an energy scale Q of the order Lambda(QCD). It is nearly as hard in shape as the valence quark, while its size accounts for a quarter of the nucleon momentum. Both are in qualitative agreement with the input leading twist gluon distribution assumed by Gluck, Reya and Vogt at this scale in order to reproduce the observed distributions at Q(2) greater than or similar to 1 GeV2 via perturbative QCD evolution. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.