Strangeness physics with Kaos at MAMI

Abstract

At the Institut f\"ur Kernphysik in Mainz, Germany, the microtron MAMI has been upgraded to 1.5-GeV electron beam energy. The magnetic spectrometer Kaos is now operated by the A1 collaboration to study strangeness electro-production. Its compact design and its capability to detect negative and positive charged particles simultaneously under forward scattering angles complements the existing spectrometers. In 2008 kaon production off a liquid hydrogen target was measured at <Q^2> = 0.050 (GeV/c)^2 and 0.036 (GeV/c)^2. Associated Lambda and Sigma hyperons were identified in the missing mass spectra. Major modifications to the beam-line are under construction and a new electron arm focal-surface detector system was built in order to use Kaos as a double-arm spectrometer under zero degree scattering angle.