We report the first measurement of the differential cross section for the process gamma gamma --> eta eta in the kinematic range above the eta eta threshold, 1.096 GeV < W < 3.8 GeV over nearly the entire solid angle range, |cos theta*| <= 0.9 or <= 1.0 depending on W, where W and theta* are the energy and eta scattering angle, respectively, in the gamma gamma center-of-mass system. The results are based on a 393 fb^{-1} data sample collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e^+ e^- collider. In the W range 1.1-2.0 GeV/c^2 we perform an analysis of resonance amplitudes for various partial waves, and at higher energy we compare the energy and the angular dependences of the cross section with predictions of theoretical models and extract contributions of the chi_{cJ} charmonia.

We report a high-statistics measurement of differential cross sections for the process gamma gamma -> pi^0 pi^0 in the kinematic range 0.6 GeV <= W <= 4.0 GeV and |cos theta*| <= 0.8, where W and theta* are the energy and pion scattering angle, respectively, in the gamma gamma center-of-mass system. Differential cross sections are fitted to obtain information on S, D_0, D_2, G_0 and G_2 waves. The G waves are important above W ~= 1.6 GeV. For W <= 1.6 GeV the D_2 wave is dominated by the f_2(1270) resonance while the S wave requires at least one additional resonance besides the f_0(980), which may be the f_0(1370) or f_0(1500). The differential cross sections are fitted with a simple parameterization to determine the parameters (the mass, total width and Gamma_{gamma gamma}B(f_0 -> pi^0 pi^0)) of this scalar meson as well as the f_0(980). The helicity 0 fraction of the f_2(1270) meson, taking into account interference for the first time, is also obtained.

The differential cross sections for the process $\gamma \gamma \to \pi^0 \pi^0$ have been measured in the kinematic range 0.6 GeV $< W < 4.1$ GeV, $|\cos \theta^*|<0.8$ in energy and pion scattering angle, respectively, in the $\gamma\gamma$ center-of-mass system. The results are based on a 223 fb$^{-1}$ data sample collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+ e^-$ collider. The differential cross sections are fitted in the energy region 1.7 GeV $< W <$ 2.5 GeV to confirm the two-photon production of two pions in the G wave. In the higher energy region, we observe production of the $\chi_{c0}$ charmonium state and obtain the product of its two-photon decay width and branching fraction to $\pi^0\pi^0$. We also compare the observed angular dependence and ratios of cross sections for neutral-pion and charged-pion pair production to QCD models. The energy and angular dependence above 3.1 GeV are compatible with those measured in the $\pi^+\pi^-$ channel, and in addition we find that the cross section ratio, $\sigma(\pi^0\pi^0)/\sigma(\pi^+\pi^-)$, is $0.32 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.05$ on average in the 3.1-4.1 GeV region.

We report a high-statistics measurement of the differential cross section of the process gamma gamma --> K^0_S K^0_S in the range 1.05 GeV <= W <= 4.00 GeV, where W is the center-of-mass energy of the colliding photons, using 972 fb^{-1} of data collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+ e^- collider operated at and near the Upsilon-resonance region. The differential cross section is fitted by parameterized S-, D_0-, D_2-, G_0- and G_2-wave amplitudes. In the D_2 wave, the f_2(1270), a_2(1320) and f_2'(1525) are dominant and a resonance, the f_2(2200), is also present. The f_0(1710) and possibly the f_0(2500) are seen in the S wave. The mass, total width and product of the two-photon partial decay width and decay branching fraction to the K bar{K} state Gamma_{gamma gamma}B(K bar{K}) are extracted for the f_2'(1525), f_0(1710), f_2(2200) and f_0(2500). The destructive interference between the f_2(1270) and a_2(1320) is confirmed by measuring their relative phase. The parameters of the charmonium states chi_{c0} and chi_{c2} are updated. Possible contributions from the chi_{c0}(2P) and chi_{c2}(2P) states are discussed. A new upper limit for the branching fraction of the P- and CP-violating decay channel eta_c --> K^0_S K^0_S is reported. The detailed behavior of the cross section is updated and compared with QCD-based calculations.

The differential cross section for the process $\gamma \gamma \to \eta \pi^0$ has been measured in the kinematic range $0.84 \GeV < W < 4.0 \GeV$, $|\cos \theta^*|<0.8$, where $W$ and $\theta^*$ are the energy and $\pi^0$ (or $\eta$) scattering angle, respectively, in the $\gamma\gamma$ center-of-mass system. The results are based on a 223 fb$^{-1}$ data sample collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+ e^-$ collider. Clear peaks due to the $a_0(980)$ and $a_2(1320)$ are visible. The differential cross sections are fitted in the energy region $0.9 \GeV < W < 1.46 \GeV$ to obtain the parameters of the $a_0(980)$. Its mass, width and $\Gamma_{\gamma \gamma} \B (\eta \pi^0)$ are measured to be $982.3 ^{+0.6}_{-0.7} ^{+3.1}_{-4.7} \MeV/c^2$, $75.6 \pm 1.6 ^{+17.4}_{-10.0} \MeV$ and $128 ^{+3}_{-2} ^{+502}_{-43} \eV$, respectively. The energy and angular dependences above 3.1 GeV are compared with those measured in the $\pi^0 \pi^0$ channel. The integrated cross section over $|\cos \theta^*|<0.8$ has a $W^{-n}$ dependence with $n = 10.5 \pm 1.2 \pm 0.5$, which is slightly larger than that for $\pi^0 \pi^0$. The differential cross sections show a $\sin^{-4} \theta^*$ dependence similar to $\gamma \gamma \to \pi^0 \pi^0$. The measured cross section ratio, $\sigma(\eta \pi^0)/\sigma(\pi^0 \pi^0) = 0.48 \pm 0.05 \pm 0.04$, is consistent with a QCD-based prediction.

A high precision study of the process gamma gamma -> p p-bar has been performed using a data sample of 89/fb collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- collider. The cross section of p p-bar production has been measured at two-photon center-of-mass (c.m.) energies between 2.025 and 4.0 GeV and in the c.m. angular range of |cos(theta^*)|<0.6. Production of gamma gamma -> eta_c -> p p-bar is observed and the product of the two-photon width of the eta_c and its branching ratio to p p-bar is determined.

Properties of the hadronic final state in photoproduction events with large transverse energy are studied at the electron-proton collider HERA. Distributions of the transverse energy, jets and underlying event energy are compared to $\overline{p}p$ data and QCD calculations. The comparisons show that the $\gamma p$ events can be consistently described by QCD models including -- in addition to the primary hard scattering process -- interactions between the two beam remnants. The differential jet cross sections $d\sigma/dE_T~{jet}$ and $d\sigma/d\eta~{jet}$ are measured.

We report on a high statistics measurement of the total and differential cross sections of the process gamma gamma -> pi^+ pi^- in the pi^+ pi^- invariant mass range 0.8 GeV/c^2 < W < 1.5 GeV/c^2 with 85.9 fb^{-1} of data collected at sqrt{s}=10.58 GeV and 10.52 GeV with the Belle detector. A clear signal of the f_0(980) resonance is observed in addition to the f_2(1270) resonance. An improved 90% confidence level upper limit Br.(eta'(958) -> pi^+ pi^-) < 2.9 x 10^{-3} is obtained for P- and CP-violating decay of the eta'(958) meson using the most conservative assumption about the interference with the background.

We present a study of J ψ meson production in collisions of 26.7 GeV electrons with 820 GeV protons, performed with the H1-detector at the HERA collider at DESY. The J ψ mesons are detected via their leptonic decays both to electrons and muons. Requiring exactly two particles in the detector, a cross section of σ(ep → J ψ X) = (8.8±2.0±2.2) nb is determined for 30 GeV ≤ W γp ≤ 180 GeV and Q 2 ≲ 4 GeV 2 . Using the flux of quasi-real photons with Q 2 ≲ 4 GeV 2 , a total production cross section of σ ( γp → J / ψX ) = (56±13±14) nb is derived at an average W γp =90 GeV. The distribution of the squared momentum transfer t from the proton to the J ψ can be fitted using an exponential exp(− b ∥ t ∥) below a ∥ t ∥ of 0.75 GeV 2 yielding a slope parameter of b = (4.7±1.9) GeV −2 .

We present first results on the total photoproduction cross section measurement with the H1 detector at HERA. The data were extracted from low Q 2 collisions of 26.7 GeV electrons with 820 GeV protons. The γp total cross section has been measured by two independent methods in the γp center of mass energy range from 90 to 290 GeV. For an average center of mass energy of 195 GeV a value of σ tot ( γp ) = 159 ± 7 (stat.) ± 20 (syst.) μb was obtained.