Role of N*(1650) in the near threshold pp --> p Lambda K+ and pp --> p Sigma0 K+ reactions

We investigate the pp --> p Lambda K+ and pp --> p Sigma0 K+ reactions at beam energies near their thresholds within an effective Lagrangian model, where the strangeness production proceeds via the excitation of N*(1650), N*(1710), and N*(1720) baryonic resonances. It is found that the $N^*$(1650) resonance dominates both these reactions at near threshold energies. The contributions from this resonance together with the final state interaction among the outgoing particles are able to explain the observed beam energy dependence of the ratio of the cross sections of the two reactions in the near threshold region.Comment: Revised version, Fig. 4 is updated with the revised data, to appear in Phys. Rev. C (Rapid Communications