Nucleon structure studied through VCS and the N→Δ transition

In the last decade the detailed understanding of the structure of hadrons and in particular that of the nucleon has emerged as one of the key issues in intermediate energy electromagnetic investigations. Fundamental questions concerning the shape, the polarizability, the origin of the spin of the nucleon are currently being explored both theoretically and experimentally. We present here an overview of the ongoing investigations of: a) nucleon deformation through electro-excitation to the first nucleon resonance, the Δ+(1232), and quantified through the quadrupole amplitudes in the γ*N→Δ transition and b) the generalized polarizabilities of the nucleon through Virtual Compton Scattering (VCS). Recent results and planned experiments at intermediate energy facilities world wide, with particular emphasis at the experimental programs at MIT/Bates are reviewed.