Electroproduction of hyperons

We present some estimates for the reaction ep → e′Σ+. At small scattering angles, the differential cross section is completely determined by the experimental data for the radiative decay Σ+ → pγ. For kinematical values typical of the proposed parity experiment at MAMI, we find a suppression factor of about 5 · 10−15 as compared to elastic electron scattering. On the basis of conservative models for the transition form factors, this ratio might increase by about a factor of 20 at backward angles. Even higher values could be expected if the presently unknown convection currents should turn out to be large. Due to the parity violation involved in this process, we also expect a large asymmetry for polarized electrons.