Experimental study of the γp→ KΣ+ , γn→ KΛ , and γn→ KΣ reactions at the Mainz Microtron

This work measured d σ/ d Ω for neutral kaon photoproduction reactions from threshold up to a c.m. energy of 1855MeV, focussing specifically on the γp→ KΣ+, γn→ KΛ, and γn→ KΣ reactions. Our results for γn→ KΣ are the first-ever measurements for that reaction. These data will provide insight into the properties of N* resonances and, in particular, will lead to an improved knowledge about those states that couple only weakly to the πN channel. Integrated cross sections were extracted by fitting the differential cross sections for each reaction as a series of Legendre polynomials and our results are compared with prior experimental results and theoretical predictions.