Resonance interpretation of the bump structure in the $\gamma p \to K^+ \Lambda(1520)$ differential cross section

Abstract

We investigate the $\Lambda(1520)$ photoproduction in the $\vec{\gamma} p \to K^+ \Lambda(1520)$ reaction within the effective Lagrangian method near threshold. In addition to the "background" contributions from the contact, $t-$channel $K$ exchange, and $s-$channel nucleon pole terms, which were already considered in previous works, the contribution from the nucleon resonance $N^*(2080)$ (spin-parity $J^P = 3/2^-$) is also considered. We show that the inclusion of the nucleon resonance $N^*(2080)$ leads to a fairly good description of the new LEPS differential cross-section data, and that these measurements can be used to determine some of the properties of this latter resonance.