Separated Structure Functions for Exclusive $K^+\Lambda$ and $K^+\Sigma^0$ Electroproduction at 5.5 GeV with CLAS

Abstract

We report measurements of the exclusive electroproduction of $K^+\Lambda$ and $K^+\Sigma^0$ final states from an unpolarized proton target using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The separated structure functions $\sigma_U$, $\sigma_{LT}$, $\sigma_{TT}$, and $\sigma_{LT'}$ were extracted from the $\Phi$-dependent differential cross sections acquired with a longitudinally polarized 5.499 GeV electron beam. The data span a broad range of momentum transfers $Q^2$ from 1.4 to 3.9 GeV$^2$, invariant energy $W$ from threshold to 2.6 GeV, and nearly the full center-of-mass angular range of the kaon. The separated structure functions provide an unprecedented data sample, which in conjunction with other meson photo- and electroproduction data, will help to constrain the higher-level analyses being performed to search for missing baryon resonances.