Abstract

Electroproduction of exclusive vector mesons has been studied with the CLAS detector in the kinematic range 1.4≤Q2≤3.8 GeV2,0.0≤t'≤3.6 GeV2, and 2.0≤W≤3.0 GeV. The scaling exponent for the total cross section as 1/(Q2+M2)n was determined to be n=2.49±0.33. The slope of the four-momentum transfer t' distribution is b=0.98±0.17 GeV-2. Under the assumption of s-channel helicity conservation, we determine the ratio of longitudinal to transverse cross sections to be R=0.86±0.24. A two-gluon exchange model is able to reproduce the main features of the data. © 2008 The American Physical Society.