Bayesian model selection for electromagnetic kaon production on the nucleon
 
Bayesian model selection for electromagnetic kaon production on the nucleon 
 
Lesley De Cruz, D. G. Ireland, P. Vancraeyveld, J. Ryckebusch
 
Abstract 

We present the results of a Bayesian analysis of a Regge model to describe the background contribution for K+Λ and K+Σ0 photoproduction. The model is based on the exchange of K+(494) and K*+(892) trajectories in the t-channel. We utilise the Bayesian evidence Z to determine the best model variant for each channel. The Bayesian evidence integrals were calculated using the Nested Sampling algorithm. For different prior widths, we find decisive Bayesian evidence (ΔlnZ≈24) for a K+Λ photoproduction Regge model with a positive vector coupling and a negative tensor coupling constant for the K*+(892) trajectory, and a rotating phase factor for both trajectories. Using the Χ2 minimisation method, one could not draw this conclusion from the same dataset. For the K+Σ0 photoproduction Regge model, on the other hand, the difference between the evidence integrals is insufficient to pinpoint one model variant.