Eur. Phys. J. A (2005) 24: 275-285
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2005-10002-x

Original Article

Measurement of the reaction γp → K⁰Σat photon energies up to 2.6 GeV^⋆

¹ Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany
² Helmholtz-Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik Bonn, Bonn, Germany
³ Department of Physics, The George Washington University, 20052, Washington, D.C., USA
⁴ Departemen Fisika, FMIPA, Universitas Indonesia, 16424, Depok, Indonesia

^* e-mail: paul@physik.uni-bonn.de

Received: 11 January 2005
Accepted: 18 February 2005
Published online: 24 March 2005

Abstract

The reaction γp → K ⁰Σ⁺ was measured in the photon energy range from threshold up to 2.6 GeV with the SAPHIR detector at the electron stretcher facility, ELSA, in Bonn. Results are presented on the reaction cross-section and the polarization of the Σ⁺ as a function of the kaon production angle in the centre-of-mass system, cosΘ^c.m. _K, and the photon energy. The cross-section is lower and varies less with photon energy and kaon production angle than that of γp → K ⁺Σ⁰. The Σ⁺ is polarized predominantly at cosΘ^c.m. _K ≈ 0. The data presented here are more precise than previous ones obtained with SAPHIR and extend the photon energy range to higher values. They are compared to isobar model calculations.