Reconstruction Analysis of Kaon Structure Functions via Tagged Deep Inelastic Scattering

Kaon structure functions are largely unexplored in literature and investigation may reveal information on the boundary of perturbatively and non-perturbatively generated mass. By comparing Monte Carlo (MC) simulations with various Deep Inelastic Scattering (DIS) reconstruction algorithms of the e + p → e′ + K + Λ collision, we determined which algorithm produces the closest result to the “true” MC and validated the simulation. We utilized the Sullivan Process, where electrons scatter from the meson cloud of nucleons to resolve the kaon structure, and tagged the final state particles. The electron reconstruction method proved to have the best fit to the MC data, and results demonstrate strong agreement between MC and reconstruction results for the four-momentum squared (Q²) and fraction of hadron momentum carried by the struck quark (Björken x), though some reconstruction failures produced unphysical values at higher energies. There was also agreement between MC and reconstruction four-momentum transfer squared between the electron and proton (-t) and the lambda particle energy. Additionally, quality control analysis of EIC detector PbWO₄ crystals revealed that bubble density may impact photon transmission, though further statistical analysis is needed to fully quantify these effects. From these simulation calibrations, we can now extract the kaon SF and better understand the boundaries of the Standard Model.