We present the first measurement of the timelike Compton scattering process, γ p→ p′
γ*(γ*→ e+ e−), obtained with the CLAS12 detector at Jefferson Lab. The photon beam
polarization and the decay lepton angular asymmetries are reported in the range of timelike
photon virtualities 2.25< Q′ 2< 9 GeV 2, squared momentum transferred 0.1<− t< 0.8 GeV
2, and average total center-of-mass energy squared s= 14.5 GeV 2. The photon beam
polarization asymmetry, similar to the beam-spin asymmetry in deep virtual Compton …

While the most attention so far is on studies of GPD using spin (beam/target) observables
and cross-sections in DVCS, the other Compton-like process, timelike Compton scattering
(TCS) is accessible with high energy electron beams and has much to offer. TCS is the time-
reversal symmetric process of DVCS where the incoming photon is real and the outgoing
photon has large time-like virtuality. In this talk, we present the first observation of the TCS
process, γp--> γ* p'--> e+ e-p', measured using the CLAS12 detector at Jefferson Lab, with a …