Separated Structure Functions for Exclusive $K^+Λ$ and $K^+Σ^0$ Electroproduction at 5.5 GeV with CLAS

Abstract

We report measurements of the exclusive electroproduction of $K^+Λ$ and $K^+Σ^0$ final states from an unpolarized proton target using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The separated structure functions $σ_U$, $σ_{LT}$, $σ_{TT}$, and $σ_{LT'}$ were extracted from the $Φ$-dependent differential cross sections acquired with a longitudinally polarized 5.499 GeV electron beam. The data span a broad range of momentum transfers $Q^2$ from 1.4 to 3.9 GeV$^2$, invariant energy $W$ from threshold to 2.6 GeV, and nearly the full center-of-mass angular range of the kaon. The separated structure functions provide an unprecedented data sample, which in conjunction with other meson photo- and electroproduction data, will help to constrain the higher-level analyses being performed to search for missing baryon resonances.

27 pages, 23 figures