$K^*$ vector meson photoproduction on a proton target at Jefferson Lab

It has been pointed out that the $K^*Y$ channels could provide some unique opportunities in searching for those missing resonances which couple to the $KY$ and $N\pi$ channels weakly. Compared with the $KY$ channels, the photoproduction of $K^*$ vector meson has not been studied in as much details mainly due to the lack of data. The CLAS Collaboration at Jefferson Lab conducted a photoproduction experiment on a proton target using a tagged photon beam with an energy range of 1.6-3.8~GeV during May-July 2004. With an integrated luminosity of about 75 $pb^{-1}$, this experiment provides the largest data set for photon-proton reactions ever collected. The two reactions $\gamma p \rightarrow K^{*+}\Lambda\rightarrow K^+p\pi^-(\pi^0)$ and $\gamma p \rightarrow K^{*0}\Sigma^+\rightarrow K^+\pi^-(\Sigma^+)$ have been investigated. The comparison of the two channels could provide insight into the contributions of the controversial $\kappa$ meson. The preliminary results of the cross section measurement and angular distributions for the photon energy range of 2.0-3.8~GeV will be presented and compared with theoretical calculations.