Measurement of the Induced Polarization of Λ(1116) in Kaon Electroproduction with CLAS

The CLAS Collaboration is using the p(e, e'K+p)π- reaction to measure the induced polarization of the electroproduced Λ(1116). In this experiment a 5.499-GeV electron beam was incident upon an unpolarized liquid-hydrogen target. The CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) was used to detect the scattered electron, the kaon, and the decay proton from the Λ hyperon. CLAS allowed for a large kinematic acceptance in Q2(0.75≤Q2≤3.5 GeV2) and W(1.6≤W≤3.0 GeV), as well as the kaon center-of-mass scattering angle. The goal is to map out the kinematic dependencies for the induced polarization in order to provide new constraints on models of K-hyperon production. Along with previously published photo- and electroproduction cross sections and polarization observables from CLAS, LEPS, SAPHIR, and GRAAL, these new induced polarization data are needed in coupled-channel analyses to search for previously unobserved s-channel resonances. Preliminary polarization results are presented.