Observation of $\gamma p \to \Lambda \bar{\Lambda} p$ with GlueX at Jefferson Lab

Abstract

For the first time, baryon-antibaryon photoproduction in the reaction $\gamma p \to \Lambda \bar{\Lambda} p$ has been observed at photon energies from threshold near 4.9 GeV to 11.6 GeV. The measurements are in progress with the GlueX spectrometer in Hall D at Jefferson Lab. We describe here the apparatus and methods used to make these measurements and outline the physics goals of the work. Some of the newly-seen reaction phenomenology is presented.