The cross section of the process e+ e- ---> eta gamma has been measured in the 600-1380 MeV c.m. energy range with the CMD-2 detector. The following branching ratios have been determined: B(rho ---> eta gamma) = (3.28 +- 0.37 +- 0.23) 10^{-4}, B(omega ---> eta gamma) = (5.10 +- 0.72 +- 0.34) 10^{-4}, B(phi --> eta gamma) = (1.287 +- 0.013 +- 0.063) 10^{-2}. Evidence for the rho'(1450) ---> eta gamma decay has been obtained for the first time.

The total cross section of γ rays in hydrogen resulting in hadron production, σT, has been measured over the energy range 265-4215 MeV. A tagging system with narrow energy bins was employed. Structure in the resonance region followed by a steady fall with energy has been observed and the results are analyzed. The forward amplitude of γ-proton scattering is evaluated, and its behavior in the Argand diagram studied as a function of energy. The relationships of the measurements to Regge-pole theory and the vector-dominance model are detailed.

The production of multipion events by e + e − annihilation has been measured at centre of mass energies 915,990 and 1076 MeV. Both channels e + e − → π + π − π o and e + e − → π + π − π + π − have been analysed. An energy threshold effect analysed. An energy threshold effect around 919 MeV ( m ω + m π o ) has been evidenced for the π + π − π o π o channel and the cross section is consistent with the quasi two-body process e + e − → ωπ o . The cross section for π + π − π + π − is lower by an order of magnitude and increases with the energy.

We present the results of a measurement of the cross section oof the reaction e + e − → π + π − π + π − from 890 to 1100 MeV in the center of mass, obtained with a magnetic detector at the Orsay Storage Ring ACO. With respect to previous experiments, the present one offers the possibility of reconstructing events with at least one constraint and his improved statistics. We find that our measurement of the cross section for e + e − → π + π − π + π − is compatible with quasi two-body production of π A 1 ( m A1 = 1.1 GeV, Γ A1 ∼ 0.2−0.3 GeV), through the ϱ and ϱ′(1600) intermediate states. We were able to states. We were able to determine the cross section of this reaction at the energy of the φ meson and consequently an upper limit on the branching ratio of φ → π + π − π + π − .

We present the results obtained with the magnetic detector DM1 at the Orsay storage ring ACO for the reaction e + e − → π + π − π 0 from 483 to 1100 MeV in the center of mass. Our data show without ambiguity an interference effect between the ω and φ mesons, which corresponds to a negative coupling constant product ratio Re( g γω g ω →3 π / g γφ g φ →3 π ) ; however our measurements above the φ, performed using kinematical analysis, can only be explained by a higher energy contribution. In addition, the parameters of the ω have been obtained with an improved accuracy compared to other experiments, and particularly the branching ratio B ω →e + e − = (6.75±0.69) × 10 −5 . We confirm that the reaction e + e − → π + π − π 0 proceeds essentially via a quasi-two-body state ϱπ , at the energy of the φ.

The pion form factor is measured in the reaction e + e − → π + π − for center of mass energies in the range 480–1100 MeV. Our results are first analysed in terms of the conventional Vector Meson Dominance formalism, and then taking into account the ωπ inelastic channel. The result of this later formalism is a pion form factor ( F π ) which fits quite well all the existing data on F π both in the timelike and spacelike regions, and pion mean square radius of 〈 r π 2 〉 = 0.460 ± 0.011 fm 2 or 〈r π 2 〉 1 2 = 0.678 ± 0.008 fm .

The cross section e + e − → π + π − π o has been measured in the φ energy region and at three other energies (915, 990, 1076 MeV) chosen outside the ω and φ resonances. In the same experiment the energy position and the width of the φ resonance have been determined from the φ →K S o K L o channel. It is found that the magnitude and energy dependence of the experimental cross section are well described by coherent production of ω and φ in the whole energy range 770 to 1076 MeV. Our data clearly show an interference effect which corresponds to an opposite sign between the two products g γω g ω →3 π and g γφ g φ →3 π of the coupling constants.

We have identified 262 doubly tagged two-photon events. A subset of the data shows an enhancement of 21 events in the inclusive two-photon mass squared distribution between 0.8 and 2.2 GeV 2 . If these events result from spin 2 resonance production then Γ γγ = 9.5 ± 3.9 ± 2.4 keV (statistical and systematic). From another subset of 58 events in which the final state could be classified we determine the two-photon hadron to muon cross section ratio R γγ = 1.1 ± 0.3 ± 0.3.

We present a measurement of the cross section for the reaction e + e − → e + e − π + π − π + π − at SPEAR. This channel is found to be large and dominated by the process γγ → ϱ 0 ϱ 0 → π + π − π + π − . The cross section, which is small just above the four-pion threshold, exhibits a large enhancement near the ϱ 0 ϱ 0 threshold.

We present the first data on photon-photon annihilation into hadrons for CM energies > 1 GeV obtained with the detector PLUTO at the e + e − storage ring PETRA. Cross sections are extracted using an inelastic eγ scattering formalism. The results are compared to expectations from Regge-like models.