Influence of N*-resonances on hyperon production in the channel pp->K+ Lambda p at 2.95, 3.20 and 3.30 GeV/c beam momentum

Abstract Hyperon production in the threshold region was studied in the reaction pp → K + Λ p using the time-of-flight spectrometer COSY-TOF. Exclusive data, covering the full phase-space, were taken at the three different beam momenta of p beam = 2.95 , 3.20 and 3.30 GeV/ c , corresponding to excess energies of e = 204 , 285 and 316 MeV, respectively. Total cross-sections were deduced for the three beam momenta to be 23.9 ± 0.8 ± 2.0 μb , 28.4 ± 1.3 ± 2.2 μb and 35.0 ± 1.3 ± 3.0 μb . Differential observables including Dalitz plots were obtained. The analysis of the Dalitz plots reveals a strong influence of the N ( 1650 ) -resonance at p beam = 2.95 GeV / c , whereas for the higher momenta an increasing relative contribution of the N ( 1710 ) - and/or of the N ( 1720 ) -resonance was observed. In addition, the pΛ -final-state interaction turned out to have a significant influence on the Dalitz plot distribution.