Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Major/Program

Physics

First Advisor's Name

Pete E.C. Markowitz

First Advisor's Committee Title

Committee Chair

Second Advisor's Name

Joerg Reinhold

Third Advisor's Name

Brian A. Raue

Fourth Advisor's Name

George Chang

Fifth Advisor's Name

Werner U. Boeglin

Date of Defense

11-18-2004

Abstract

The kaon electroproduction reaction H(e, e'K+)Λ was studied as a function of the four momentum transfer, Q2, for different values of the virtual photon polarization parameter. Electrons and kaons were detected in coincidence in two High Resolution Spectrometers (HRS) at Jefferson Lab. Data were taken at electron beam energies ranging from 3.4006 to 5.7544 GeV. The kaons were identified using combined time of flight information and two Aerogel Čerenkov detectors used for particle identification. For different values of Q2 ranging from 1.90 to 2.35 GeV/c2 the center of mass cross sections for the Λ hyperon were determined for 20 kinematics and the longitudinal, σL, and transverse, σT, terms were separated using the Rosenbluth separation technique.

Comparisons between available models and data have been studied. The comparison supports the t-channel dominance behavior for kaon electroproduction. All models seem to underpredict the transverse cross section. An estimate of the kaon form factor has been explored by determining the sensitivity of the separated cross sections to variations of the kaon EM form factor. From comparison between models and data we can conclude that interpreting the data using the Regge model is quite sensitive to a particular choice for the EM form factors. The data from the E98-108 experiment extends the range of the available kaon electroproduction cross section data to an unexplored region of Q2 where no separations have ever been performed.

Identifier

FI14060884

Comments

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