A measurement of the differential cross section for the reaction $gamma n to pi^{-} p$ from deuterium

We report a measurement of the differential cross section for the $gamma n to pi^- p$ process from the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab in Hall B for photon energies between 1.0 and 3.5 GeV and pion center-of-mass (c.m.) angles ($theta_{c.m.}$) between 50$^circ$ and 115$^circ$. We confirm a previous indication of a broad enhancement around a c.m. energy ($sqrt{s}$) of 2.2 GeV at $theta_{c.m.}=90^circ$ in the scaled differential cross section, $s^7 {frac{dsigma}{dt}}$. Our data show the angular dependence of this enhancement as the scaling region is approached in the kinematic region from 70$^circ$ to 105$^circ$.