Measurement of inelastic scattering $\Lambda(\overline{\Lambda})+p\to\Sigma^{0}(\overline{\Sigma}^{0})+p$ via $e^+e^-\to J/\psi\to\Lambda\overline{\Lambda}$

Abstract

Using a sample of $(10087\pm44)\times10^{6}$ $J/\psi$ events collected with the BESIII detector, we investigate the inelastic scattering processes $\Lambda+p\to\Sigma^{0}+p$ and $\overline{\Lambda}+p\to\overline{\Sigma}^{0}+p$, exploiting hyperons from $J/\psi\to\Lambda\overline{\Lambda}$ decays as an effective beam and the beam-pipe materials as targets. The processes $\Lambda+{}^{9}\mathrm{Be}\to\Sigma^{0}+p+{}^{8}\mathrm{Li}$ and $\overline{\Lambda}+{}^{9}\mathrm{Be}\to\overline{\Sigma}^{0}+p+{}^{8}\mathrm{Li}$ are measured at a hyperon momentum of $1.074~\mathrm{GeV}/c$, with cross sections of $(10.1\pm1.4_{\rm stat}\pm0.7_{\rm syst})$ mb and $(1.7\pm0.6_{\rm stat}\pm0.4_{\rm syst})$ mb, respectively. Under the assumption of surface-dominated hyperon-nucleus scattering, these measurements are used to extract the corresponding proton-target cross sections. Independently, direct measurements using the hydrogen component of the beam-pipe oil yield $(3.2\pm1.1_{\rm stat}\pm0.5_{\rm syst})$ mb for $\Lambda+p\to\Sigma^{0}+p$ and $(1.5\pm0.5_{\rm stat}\pm0.1_{\rm syst})$ mb for $\overline{\Lambda}+p\to\overline{\Sigma}^{0}+p$, consistent with the indirect determinations. The combined cross sections are $(4.7\pm0.7)$ mb and $(1.1\pm0.3)$ mb, respectively. The $\overline{\Lambda}+p\to\overline{\Sigma}^{0}+p$ signal constitutes the first evidence for anti-hyperon inelastic scattering with baryonic final states, with a significance of $3.1\sigma$. The pronounced difference between the $\Lambda p$ and $\overline{\Lambda}p$ inelastic scattering cross sections provides new experimental constraints on hyperon-nucleon and anti-hyperon-nucleon interactions.