Measurement of the Proton Electric Form Factor ratio GE_p at High Momentum Transfer

Elastic form factors give important insights into the nucleon structure and related Generalized Parton Distributions. Electron scattering is one of the simplest and most productive probes of the internal nucleon structure. The Super Bigbite Spectrometer (SBS) program in Hall A at Jefferson Lab includes a set of the elastic nucleon form factors measurements at high momentum transfer. There is a large interest to find the proton electric form factor with high accuracy and the goal of this program is to measure the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio GEp/GMp with unprecedented precision. The approved experiment, E12-07-109, will use the recoil polarization technique and aims to make precision measurements at Q² = 5.5, 8, and 12 GeV2 and will start in the fall of 2024. Work is underway to construct a new electromagnetic calorimeter capable of withstanding the high radiation load at luminosity necessary for a precision measurement at high momentum transfer. 1656 lead glass crystals will be placed in a custom heater, to allow constant annealing of the crystals at 220 deg C. An overview of the GEp/SBS experimental method and the development of multiple novel detectors, including the progress of the electromagnetic calorimeter and the completion of a small-scale test will be discussed.