Strangeness physics with Kaos at MAMI

TL;DR

This paper reports on the upgrade of the MAMI accelerator and the Kaos spectrometer to study strangeness electro-production, including recent measurements of kaon production and hyperon identification, enhancing capabilities for hypernuclear physics research.

Contribution

The paper introduces the upgraded Kaos spectrometer at MAMI, enabling simultaneous detection of charged particles and new measurements of kaon production at low Q^2 values.

Findings

Kaon production measured at <Q^2> = 0.050 and 0.036 (GeV/c)^2

Lambda and Sigma hyperons identified in missing mass spectra

Major modifications to the beam-line and detector system implemented

Abstract

At the Institut f\"ur Kernphysik in Mainz, Germany, the microtron MAMI has been upgraded to 1.5-GeV electron beam energy. The magnetic spectrometer Kaos is now operated by the A1 collaboration to study strangeness electro-production. Its compact design and its capability to detect negative and positive charged particles simultaneously under forward scattering angles complements the existing spectrometers. In 2008 kaon production off a liquid hydrogen target was measured at <Q^2> = 0.050 (GeV/c)^2 and 0.036 (GeV/c)^2. Associated Lambda and Sigma hyperons were identified in the missing mass spectra. Major modifications to the beam-line are under construction and a new electron arm focal-surface detector system was built in order to use Kaos as a double-arm spectrometer under zero degree scattering angle.