We present consistent theoretical descriptions of the $\\pi\\, N \\rightarrow e^+e^- N$ and $\\gamma\\, N \\rightarrow e^+e^- N$ reactions on proton and neutron targets for total center of mass energies $\\sqrt s$ ranging between $1.50$ GeV and $1.75$ GeV. These reactions are complementary to study the coupling of low-lying baryon resonances to vector meson-nucleon channels. We show in particular
how the resonant structure of the amplitudes for both processes gene\\-rates specific and large quantum interferences between $\\rho$- and $\\omega$-meson decays into $e^+e^-$ pairs.
Data on the $\\pi\\, N \\rightarrow e^+e^- N$ and $\\gamma\\, N \\rightarrow e^+e^- N$ reactions are expected in the near future from the HADES program at GSI and from dilepton studies with CLAS at JLab. |
