Photoproduction of $K^{*+}\Lambda$ and $K^+\Sigma(1385)$ in the reaction $\gamma \lowercase{p} \to K^+ \Lambda \pi^0 $ at Jefferson Lab

Abstract

The search for missing nucleon resonances using coupled channel analysis has mostly been concentrated on $N\pi$ and $KY$ channels, while the contributions of $K^*Y$ and $KY^*$ channels have not been investigated thoroughly mostly due to the lack of data. With an integrated luminosity of about 75 $pb^{-1}$, the photoproduction data using a proton target recently collected by the CLAS Collaboration at Jefferson Lab with a photon energy range of 1.5-3.8 GeV provided large statistics for the study of light hyperon photoproduction through exclusive reactions. The reaction $\gamma p \to K^+ \Lambda \pi^0$ has been investigated. Preliminary results of the $K^{*+}\Lambda$ and $K^+\Sigma(1385)$ cross sections are not negligible compared with the $KY$ channels. The $\Lambda \pi^0$ invariant mass spectrum is dominated by the $\Sigma(1385)$ signal and no significant structure was found around the $\Sigma(1480)$ region.