A Geometric Charge–Lattice Model for Proton and Neutron Structure

We present a geometric charge–lattice framework for describing the internal structure of the proton and neutron. In this approach, nucleons are represented as stable 3 × 3 arrangements of discrete positive and negative charge units. The proton corresponds to a lattice containing five positive and four negative charges, reproducing its observed net charge and characteristic size scale. The neutron is described as a closely related charge–rebalanced configuration of the same geometric form. We show that linear projections of these charge lattices naturally generate effective charge patterns consistent with quark–like signatures observed in high–energy scattering experi- ments. Within this interpretation, fractional charge responses arise as geometric averages of integer charge units distributed across the lattice, without requiring independently existing fractional–charge constituents. The charge–lattice representation provides a concrete spatial interpretation of nucleon charge organization that remains compatible with established experimental phenomenology. The framework leads to testable implications for nucleon charge form factors and motivates further investigation through precision scattering and spatial distribution measurements.