Inclusive photoproduction of strange baryons at 20 GeV

Cross sections are presented for the inclusive photoproduction of KS0, Λ, Λ¯, Ξ−, Ξ¯−, Σ0, and Σ*±(1385) at 20 GeV. An upper limit to Ω− production is also given. The data come from 284 000 hadronic events photoproduced in the SLAC 1-m hydrogen-bubble-chamber hybrid facility exposed to a nearly monochromatic, polarized 20-GeV backscattered photon beam. A comparison of the KS0, Λ, Λ¯, and Ξ− rates per inelastic event to π±p data show that γp rates are consistent with being higher than the π±p rates, providing evidence of an ss¯ component of the photon. The pair cross sections for KS0KS0, KS0Λ, KSoΛ¯, and ΛΛ¯ are presented. The xF distributions of the Λ, Λ¯, and Ξ− are compared to a quark-diquark fusion model, giving information on strange-baryon photoproduction mechanisms.