Strangeness Photoproduction with the Saphir Detector

Abstract

Statistically improved data of total cross sections and of angular distributions for differential cross sections and hyperon recoil polarizations of the reactions \gamma p --> K^+ \Lambda and \gamma p --> K^+ \Sigma^0 have been collected with the SAPHIR detector at photon energies between threshold and 2.0 GeV. Here total cross section data up to 1.5 GeV are presented. The opposite sign of \Lambda and \Sigma polarization and the change of sign between forward and backward direction could be confirmed by higher statistics. A steep threshold behaviour of the K^+ \Lambda total cross section is observed.