e+e- pair production from nucleon targets in the resonance region

Abstract

We present consistent theoretical descriptions of the $\pi N \to e^+e^- N$ and $\gamma N \to e^+e^- N$ reactions on proton and neutron targets for total center of mass energies $\sqrt s$ ranging between 1.50 GeV and 1.75 GeV. These reactions are complementary to study the coupling of low-lying baryon resonances to vector meson-nucleon channels. We show in particular how the resonant structure of the amplitudes for both processes generates specific and large quantum interferences between $\rho$- and $\omega$-meson decays into $e^+e^-$ pairs. Data on the $\pi N \to e^+e^- N$ and $\gamma N \to e^+e^- N$ reactions are expected in the near future from the HADES program at GSI and from dilepton studies with CLAS at JLab.