Polarized-Photon Asymmetries in K+ Photoproduction at 16 GeV

Using a 16-GeV linearly polarized photon beam, we have measured asymmetries in the process γN-->K⁺(Λ+Σ) from hydrogen and deuterium, for square of four-momentum transfer, t, between -0.01 and -0.8 (GeV/c)². The data show that for -t>~0.1 (GeV/c)², the cross sections for γp-->K⁺Λ, γp-->K⁺Σ⁰, and γn-->K⁺Σ^- are strongly dominated by natural-parity exchange, as is the case in single-pion photoproduction.