The differential cross section of the reactionγ+p→π+ was measured at pion CM-angles of 20° and 30° for photon energies between 500 MeV and 1,400 MeV. The pions were detected in a magnetic spectrometer. By measuring each pion trajectory and by offline calculation of the initial pion parameters an energy resolution of about 2.5% FWHM was achieved. The results complete a set of data which were measured in recent years at the Bonn 2.5 GeV synchrotron. In comparison to photoproduction analyses two effects were revealed: The η cusp appears in the energy dependence of the cross section as a sharp drop atKγ=710 MeV. In the region of the third resonance the data show a greater enhancement than predicted by most of the analyses.

In the analysis of the reactione+e−→e+e−KS0Ks0 clear evidence for exclusive γγ→f2′ resonance production is observed. The productΓγγ ·B(f2′→K\(\bar K\)) is measured to be 0.10−0.03−0.02+0.04+0.03 keV independent of ana priori assumption on the helicity structure. Our data are consistent with a pure helicity 2 contribution and we derive an upper limit for the ratioΓγγ(0)/Γγγ. The absence of events in the mass region around 1.3 GeV clearly proves destructivef2−a2 interference and allows to measure the relative phases betweenf2,a2 andf2′. Upper limits on the production of the glueball candidate statesf2(1720) andX(2230) as well as theKS0KS0-continuum are given.

We have measured the cross section of four charged pion production in photon-photon interactions in the invariant mass range 1.0≦Wγγ≦3.2 GeV and up toQ2=16 GeV2. For 1.2 GeV≦Wγγ≦1.7 GeV the process is dominated by ρ0ρ0 production with a rapid rise in cross section around 1.2 GeV, well below the nominal ρ0ρ0 threshold. The observed distributions in the two particle masses and in the production and decay angles are well described by an incoherent sum of the phase-space subprocesses γγ →ρ0ρ0, →ρ0π+π−, and →π+π−π+π−. A spin-parity analysis of the ρ0ρ0 system showsJP=2+ to dominate, although 0+ is also possible forWγγ≦1.4 GeV. Negative partity states are excluded.

The production of thef0 in two photon collisions, with the subsequent decayf0→π+π− has been observed in the CELLO detector at PETRA. Thef0 peak was found to lie on a dipion continuum and to be shifted downwards in mass by ≃50 MeV/c2. The ππ mass spectrum from 0.8 to 1.5 GeV/c2 was well fitted by the model of Mennessier using only a unitarised Born amplitude and helicity 2f0 amplitude. The previously observed mass shift and distortion of thef0 peak are explained by strong interference between the Born andf0 amplitudes. The only free parameter in the fit of the data to the model is the radiative widthΓγγ(f0). It was found that:Γγγ(f0)=2.5±0.1±0.5 keV where the first (second) quoted errors are statistical (systematic).

In the reaction γγ→KS0KS0 resonance production of thef2− is observed. For the radiative with\(\Gamma _{\gamma \gamma } .B(f'_2\to K\bar K) = 0.11_{ - 0.02}^{ + 0.03}\pm 0.02keV\) is found. The small number of events in thef2,a2 mass region is consistent with the assumption of destructivef2−a2 interference. From the mass distribution we determine the relative phases between the tensor mesons. Upper limits on the radiative widths of the glueball candidatesf2(1720) andX (2220) are derived.

We have determined the cross section for γγ→π+π+π−π− in a way free of assumptions about the relative contributions fromρ0ρ0,ρ02π and 4π (uncorrelated phase space). We find a sharp onset above threshold and a rather high cross section of about 200 nb aroundWγγ=1.5 GeV which consists to about 40% ofρ0ρ0 production with sizeable contributions fromρ02π and 4π (PS). The total cross section as well as theρ0ρ0 content fall rather fast at higher c.m. energies. Attempts to explain this behaviour in terms of production of known resonances are not successful so far. The angular distributions do not show any significant structure pointing to resonance formation in the 4π-system. Only theρ0-meson is observed in the moment analysis. The decay distributions of theρ0 for forward produced rhos are fairly consistent with helicity conservation of the produced rhos in accordance with the VDM picture.

The process γγ→π+π−π+π− has been investigated in reactions of the typee+e−→e+e−π+π−π+π− in the single tag mode. The range of the four momentum squared of one of the virtual photons was 0.28 GeV2/c2≦Q2≦3.6 GeV2/c2, the average being 〈Q2〉=0.92 GeV2/c2; the other photon was quasi real. The reaction is mainly described by the channels γγ→ρ0ρ0 and γγ→4π (phase space), occuring with about equal probability. TheQ2-dependence of the cross section is in agreement with the ρ form factor.

We study the processes e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi-gamma, K+ K- pi0pi0gamma, and K+ K- K+ K-gamma, where the photon is radiated from the initial state. About 84000, 8000, and 4200 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 454 fb-1 of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the \epem center-of-mass energy, so that the K+ K- pi+pi- data can be compared with direct measurements of the e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi- reaction. No direct measurements exist for the e+e- --> K+ K-pi0pi0 or e+e- --> K+ K-K+ K- reactions, and we present an update of our previous result with doubled statistics. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and extract their cross sections. In particular, we perform a more detailed study of the e+e- --> phi(1020)pipigamma reaction, and confirm the presence of the Y(2175) resonance in the phi(1020) f0(980) and K+K-f0(980) modes. In the charmonium region, we observe the J/psi in all three final states and in several intermediate states, as well as the psi(2S) in some modes, and measure the corresponding product of branching fraction and electron width.

We study the processes $e^+ e^-\to 2(\pi^+\pi^-)\pi^0\gamma$, $2(\pi^+\pi^-)\eta\gamma$, $K^+ K^-\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\gamma$ and $K^+ K^-\pi^+\pi^-\eta\gamma$ with the hard photon radiated from the initial state. About 20000, 4300, 5500 and 375 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 232 fb$^{-1}$ of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the effective $e^+ e^-$ center-of-mass energy, so that the obtained cross sections from the threshold to about 5 GeV can be compared with corresponding direct \epem measurements, currently available only for the $\eta\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\omega\pi^+\pi^-$ submodes of the $e^+ e^-\to 2(\pi^+\pi^-)\pi^0$ channel. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and we extract their cross sections where possible. In particular, we isolate the contribution from $e^+ e^-\to\omega(782)\pi^+\pi^-$ and study the $\omega(1420)$ and $\omega(1650)$ resonances. In the charmonium region, we observe the $J/\psi$ in all these final states and several intermediate states, as well as the $\psi(2S)$ in some modes, and we measure the corresponding branching fractions.

This paper reports measurements of processes: e+e- -> gamma KsK+pi-, e+e- -> gamma K+K-pi0, e+e- -> gamma phi eta, and e+e- -> gamma phi pi0. The initial state radiated photon allows to cover the hadronic final state in the energy range from thresholds up to ~4.6 GeV. The overall size of the data sample analyzed is 232 fb-1, collected by the BaBar detector running at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring. From the Dalitz plot analysis of the KsK+pi- final state, moduli and relative phase of the isoscalar and the isovector components of the e+e- -> K K*(892) cross section are determined. Parameters of phi and rho recurrences are also measured, using a global fitting procedure which exploits the interconnection among amplitudes, moduli and phases of the e+e- -> KsK+pi-, K+K-pi0, phi eta final states. The cross section for the OZI-forbidden process e+e- -> phi pi0, and the J/psi branching fractions to KK*(892) and K+K-eta are also measured.