ELECTROMAGNETIC PRODUCTION OF ASSOCIATED STRANGENESS

A formalism, based on an isobaric approach using Feynman diagrammatic techniques, which includes the nucleonic (spin less than or equal to 5 /2), hyperonic (spin 1/2), and kaonic resonances, is developed. Using this formalism, a thorough investigation of the following electromagne tic strangeness processes, for which experimental results lab are avai lable, is performed: gamma p-->K(+)Lambda, K(+)Sigma(0), K-0 Sigma(+), for E(gamma)lab less than or equal to 2.1 GeV, ep-->e'K(+)Lambda, e'K (+)Sigma(0), and K- p-->gamma Lambda, gamma Sigma(0). A reaction mecha nism, describing well enough the data, is found to include a reasonabl e number of baryonic resonances among a very large number of potential candidates. The extracted main kaon-hyperon-nucleon coupling constant s are in good agreement with values predicted using SU(3) symmetry. Th e main findings of this model are compared with the results of other r ecent phenomenological studies. Predictions for the upcoming photoprod uction polarization and electroproduction observables are presented, a nd their sensitivity to the phenomenological models ingredients are em phasized.