Production of hypernuclei in a 2.1 GeV/nucleon oxygen beam

The first hypernuclei production experiment using a beam of heavy ions from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Bevatron is described. Mass 16 hypernuclei were produced by 2.1 GeV/nucleon $sup 16$O ions incident on a polyethylene target. These relativistic hypernuclei were studied with large gap spark chambers that were electronically triggered by the low momentum K$sup +$ meson produced in association. Analysis of 22 events yields a mean lifetime tau ($sup 16$Z/sub Lambda/) = (0.86$sup +0$.$sup 33$/sub -//sub 0/./sub 2//sub 6/) x10$sup -10$ sec. (AIP)