The production of $\phi$ mesons in the reaction $e~{+}p \rightarrow e~{+} \phi p$ ($\phi \rightarrow K~{+}K~{-}$) at a median $Q~{2}$ of $10~{-4} \ \rm{GeV~2}$ has been studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The differential $\phi$ photoproduction cross section $d\sigma/dt$ has an exponential shape and has been determined in the kinematic range $0.1<|t|<0.5 \ \rm{GeV~2}$ and $60 < W < 80 \ \rm{GeV}$. An integrated cross section of $\sigma_{\gamma p \rightarrow \phi p} = 0.96 \pm 0.19~{+0.21}_{-0.18}$ $\rm{\mu b}$ has been obtained by extrapolating to {\it t} = 0. When compared to lower energy data, the results show a weak energy dependence of both $\sigma_{\gamma p \rightarrow \phi p}$ and the slope of the $t$ distribution. The $\phi$ decay angular distributions are consistent with $s$-channel helicity conservation. From lower energies to HERA energies, the features of $\phi$ photoproduction are compatible with those of a soft diffractive process.
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Numerical values of dsig/dt distribution requested from authors.
Numerical values of dsig/dt distribution read from plot.
We present results on vector-meson photoproduction via γp→Vp in the LBL-SLAC 82-in. hydrogen bubble chamber exposed to a linearly polarized photon beam at 2.8, 4.7, and 9.3 GeV. We find ρ0 production to have the characteristics of a diffractive process, i.e., a cross section decreasing slowly with energy and a differential cross section with slope of ∼ 6.5 GeV−2. Within errors the ρ0 production amplitudes are entirely due to natural-parity exchange. s-channel helicity is conserved to a high degree in the γ→ρ0 transition. We find evidence for small helicity-flip amplitudes for ππ pairs in the ρ0 region. Photoproduction of ω mesons is separated into its natural- (σN) and unnatural- (σU) parity-exchange contributions. The Eγ and t dependence and the spin density matrix of the unnatural-parity-exchange contribution are consistent with a one-pion-exchange process. The natural-parity-exchange part has characteristics similar to ρ0 production. At 9.3 GeV the ratio of σ(ρ0) to σN(ω) is ∼ 7. The slope of the φ differential cross section is ∼ 4.5 GeV−2, smaller than that of ρ0 and ω production. Natural-parity exchange is the main contributor to φ production. No evidence for higher-mass vector mesons is found in ππ, πππ, or KK¯ final states. The s and t dependences of Compton scattering as calculated from ρ, ω, and φ photoproduction using vector-meson dominance agree with experiment, but the predicted Compton cross section is too small by a factor of 2.
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