Charged lepton induced one kaon production off the nucleon

Abstract

We study single kaon production off the nucleon induced by electrons (positrons) i.e. $e^-(e^+) + N \rightarrow \nu_e (\bar \nu_e) + \bar K (K) + N^\prime$ at low energies. The possibility of observing these processes with the high luminosity beams available at TJNAF and Mainz is discussed, taking into account that the strangeness conserving electromagnetic reactions have a higher energy threshold for $\bar K (K)$ production. The calculations are done using a microscopic model that starts from the SU(3) chiral Lagrangians, includes background terms and the resonant mechanisms associated to the lowest lying resonance $\Sigma^*(1385)$.