Strangeness electroproduction on the nucleon at CLAS

Abstract

High-precision measurements of strange particle production from both proton and neutron targets are a core part of the physics programwith the CLAS spectrometer in Hall B at Jefferson Laboratory. Measurements have been carried out at beam energies up to 6 GeV in experiments with polarized beams and polarized targets. This talk will focus on the electroproduction measurements that have been completed, which include cross sections and hyperon polarization observables for K+Y (Y = ΛΣ0) final states over a broad kinematic range in momentum transfer Q2 and invariant energy W, while spanning nearly the full kaon center-of-mass angular range. These data in the strangeness sector are necessary to better understand the different productionmechanisms for Λ and Σ hyperons and to disentangle the different resonant and non-resonant amplitudes in the intermediate state. The usefulness of the CLAS electroproduction data as part of a coupled-channel model fit will be discussed as well as an outlook of this program for the future.