The photoproduction of 2$pi^0$ mesons off protons was studied with the Crystal Barrel/TAPS experiment at the electron accelerator ELSA in Bonn. The energy of photons produced in a radiator was tagged in the energy range from 600,MeV to 2.5,GeV. Diffe
rential and total cross sections and $ppi^0pi^0$ Dalitz plots are presented. Part of the data was taken with a diamond radiator producing linearly polarized photons, and beam asymmetries were derived. Properties of nucleon and $Delta$ resonances contributing to the $ppi^0pi^0$ final state were determined within the BnGa partial wave analysis. The data presented here allow us to determine branching ratios of nucleon and $Delta$ resonances for their decays into $ppi^0pi^0$ via several intermediate states. Most prominent are decays proceeding via $Delta(1232)pi$, $N(1440)1/2^+pi$, $N(1520)3/2^-pi$, $N(1680)5/2^+pi$, but also $pf_0(500)$, $pf_0(980)$, and $pf_2(1270)$ contribute to the reaction.
Photoproduction of neutral pions has been studied with the CBELSA/TAPS detector in the reaction $gamma pto ppi^0$ for photon energies between 0.85 and 2.50 GeV. The $pi^0$ mesons are observed in their dominant neutral decay mode: $pi^0togammagamma$.
For the first time, the differential cross sections cover the very forward region, $theta_{rm c.m.}<60^circ$. A partial-wave analysis of these data within the Bonn-Gatchina framework observes the high-mass resonances $G_{17}$(2190), $D_{13}$(2080), and $D_{15}$(2070).
Photoproduction of neutral pions has been studied with the CBELSA/TAPS detector for photon energies between 0.92 and 1.68~GeV at the electron accelerator ELSA. The beam asymmetry~$Sigma$ has been extracted for $115^circ < theta_{rm c.m.} < 155^circ$
of the $pi^0$~meson and for $theta_{rm c.m.} < 60^circ$. The new beam asymmetry data improve the world database for photon energies above 1.5~GeV and, by covering the very forward region, extend previously published data for the same reaction by our collaboration. The angular dependence of $Sigma$ shows overall good agreement with the SAID parameterization.
