Cross sections and Rosenbluth separations in {sup 1}H(e,e{sup '}K{sup +})LAMBDA up to Q{sup 2}=2.35 GeV{sup 2}

The kaon electroproduction reaction {sup 1}H(e,e{sup '}K{sup +})LAMBDA was studied as a function of the virtual-photon four-momentum, Q{sup 2}, total energy, W, and momentum transfer, t, for different values of the virtual-photon polarization parameter. Data were taken at electron beam energies ranging from 3.40 to 5.75 GeV. The center of mass cross section was determined for twenty-one kinematics corresponding to Q{sup 2} of 1.90 and 2.35 GeV{sup 2}, and the longitudinal, sigma{sub L}, and transverse, sigma{sub T}, cross sections were separated using the Rosenbluth technique at fixed W and t. The separated cross sections reveal a flat energy dependence at forward kaon angles not satisfactorily described by existing electroproduction models. Influence of the kaon pole on the cross sections was investigated by adopting an off-shell form factor in the Regge model, which better describes the observed energy dependence of sigma{sub T} and sigma{sub L}.