Photoproduction $\gamma p \to K^+\Lambda(1520)$ in an effective Lagrangian approach

Abstract

The data on differential cross sections and photon-beam asymmetries for the $\gamma p \to K^+\Lambda(1520)$ reaction have been analyzed within a tree-level effective Lagrangian approach. In addition to the $t$-channel $K$ and $K^\ast$ exchanges, the $u$-channel $\Lambda$ exchange, the $s$-channel nucleon exchange, and the interaction current, a minimal number of nucleon resonances in the $s$ channel are introduced in constructing the reaction amplitudes to describe the data. The results show that the experimental data can be well reproduced by including either the $N(2060)5/2^-$ or the $N(2120)3/2^-$ resonance. In both cases, the contact term and the $K$ exchange are found to make significant contributions, while the contributions from the $K^\ast$ and $\Lambda$ exchanges are negligible in the former case and considerable in the latter case. Measurements of the data on target asymmetries are called on to further pin down the resonance contents and to clarify the roles of the $K^\ast$ and $\Lambda$ exchanges in this reaction.