Neutral-Pion Electroproduction on the Proton near Threshold

The double-differential coincidence cross section for the reaction {sup 1}H({ital e},{ital e}{prime}{ital p}){pi}{sup 0} has been measured at {ital Q}{sup 2}=0.1(GeV/{ital c}){sup 2} in a range in the invariant mass of 2--14 MeV above threshold. From the angular dependence of the data values of the pion {ital s}-wave multipoles {ital E}{sub 0+} and {ital L}{sub 0+} have been extracted. The results are compared to predictions from chiral perturbation theory and models based on an effective Lagrangian. None of the models is able to describe both the {ital E}{sub 0+} and the {ital L}{sub 0+} multipoles.