Photoabsorption cross sections in hydrogen and deuterium have been measured from 3.7 to 17.9 GeV. The energy dependences are similar to those of strong-interaction total cross sections, as expected from the vector-meson-dominance model. The magnitude of σT(γp) can be compared with data from γp→ρ0p to determine a γ−p coupling constant, γρ24π=0.37±0.03. This value disagrees with that obtained on the ρ mass shell, and hence there is only qualitative agreement with the vector-meson-dominance model.
Axis error includes +- 1/1 contribution (CORRECTION OF ACCEPTANCE, POSSIBLE LOSSES, ETC).