Future Perspectives on Baryon Form Factor Measurements with BES III

Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, S-75120 Uppsala, Sweden

^a e-mail: karin.schonning@physics.uu.se

Published online: 22 March 2017

Abstract

The electromagnetic structure of hadrons, parameterised in terms of electromagnetic form factors, EMFF’s, provide a key to the strong interaction. Nucleon EMFF’s have been studied rigorously for more than 60 years but the new techniques and larger data samples available at modern facilities have given rise to a renewed interest for the field. Recently, the access to hyperon structure by hyperon time-like EMFF provides an additional dimension. The BEijing Spectrometer (BES III) at the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC-II) in China is the only running experiment where time-like baryon EMFF’s can be studied in the e⁺e⁻ → BB̅ reaction. The BES III detector is an excellent tool for baryon form factor measurements thanks to its near 4π coverage, precise tracking, PID and calorimetry. All hyperons in the SU(3) spin 1/2 octet and spin 3/2 decuplet are energetically accessible within the BEPC-II energy range. Recent data on proton and Λ hyperon form factors will be presented. Furthermore, a world-leading data sample was collected in 2014-2015 for precision measurements of baryon form factors. In particular, the data will enable a measurement of the relative phase between the electric and the magnetic form factors for Λ and Λ_c⁺ and hyperons. The modulus of the phase can be extracted from the hyperon polarisation, which in turn is experimentally accessible via the weak, parity violating decay. Furthermore, from the spin correlation between the outgoing hyperon and antihyperon, the sign of the phase can be extracted. This means that the time-like form factors can be completely determined for the first time. The methods will be outlined and the prospects of the BES III form factor measurements will be given. We will also present a planned upgrade of the BES III detector which is expected to improve future form factor measurements.