MESON AND QUARK DEGREES OF FREEDOM AND THE RADIUS OF THE DEUTERON

The existing experimental data for the deuteron charge radius are disc ussed. The data of elastic electron scattering are inconsistent with t he value obtained in a recent atomic physics experiment. Theoretical p redictions based on a nonrelativistic description of the deuteron with realistic nucleon-nucleon potentials and with a rather complete set o f meson-exchange contributions to the charge operator are presented. C orrections arising from the quark-gluon substructure of the nucleon ar e explored in a nonrelativistic quark model; the quark-gluon correctio ns, not accounted for by meson exchange, are small. Our prediction for the deuteron charge radius favours the value of a recent atomic physi cs experiment.