Extraction of N∗ information from the limited p(γ,K+)Λ data set

Nucleon resonance information is often obtained from fitting hadrodynamical model calculations to data, where model parameters such as resonance coupling constants are the free parameters in the fitting procedure. For reactions with a limited data set, such as p(γ,K+)Λ, complications in the extraction of reliable N∗ information occur not only through theoretical uncertainties, but also due to technical difficulties in the fitting procedure. In this Letter we outline a fitting strategy based on a genetic algorithm and illustrate the kind of ambiguities which can arise.