Deep exclusive electroproduction of π+ from data measured with the HERMES detector at DESY

Deeply virtual electroproduction of pions in an exclusive reaction p(e,e'π+)n is studied using a two-component model that includes soft hadronic and hard partonic reaction mechanisms. The results are compared with the experimental data measured at HERMES in the deep inelastic region for values of Q2>1 GeV2 and W2>10 GeV2. At forward angles the π+ cross section is longitudinal and is dominated by exchange of Regge poles, with π being the dominant trajectory. The off-forward region with -t>1 GeV2 is transverse and shows the dominance of partonic subprocesses. An implication of the present results for the future JLab facilities is briefly discussed.