Data analysis techniques, differential cross sections, and spin density matrix elements for the reaction $\gamma p \rightarrow \phi p$

Understand

High-statistics measurements of differential cross sections and spin density matrix elements for the reaction $\gamma p \to \phi p$ have been made using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab.

• We cover center-of-mass energies ($\sqrt{s}$) from 1.97 to 2.84 GeV, with an extensive coverage in the $\phi$ production angle.
• The high statistics of the data sample made it necessary to carefully account for the interplay between the $\phi$ natural lineshape and effects of the detector resolution, that are found to be comparable in magnitude.
• We study both the charged- ($\phi \to K^+ K^-$) and neutral- ($\phi \to K^0_S K^0_L$) $K\overline{K}$ decay modes of the $\phi$.