Electroproduction of Strangeness on Light Nuclei

The A(e, e' K⁺)Y X reaction has been investigated in Hall C at Jefferson Laboratory. Data were taken for Q² ≈ 0.35 and 0.5 GeV² at a beam energy of 3.245 GeV for ¹H, ²H, ³He and ⁴He targets. The missing mass spectra are fitted with Monte Carlo simulations taking into account the production of Λ and Σ⁰ hyperon production off the proton, and Σ^- off the neutron. Models for quasifree production are compared to the data, excess yields close to threshold are attributed to FSI. Evidence for Λ-hypernuclear bound states is seen for ^3,4He targets. This is the first time, the electroproduction of these hypernuclei has been measured.