Photoproduction of omega-meson is analyzed within meson exchange model and Regge model and compared to rho-meson photoproduction. An interplay between two models and uncertainties in data reproduction are discussed.
Systematic analysis of available data for $omega$-meson photoproduction is given in frame of Regge theory. At photon energies above 20 GeV the $gamma{+}p{to}omega{+}p$ reaction is entirely dominated by Pomeron exchange. However, it was found that Pom
eron exchange model can not reproduce the $gamma{+}p{to}rho{+}p$ and $gamma{+}p{to}omega{+}p$ data at high energies simultaneously with the same set of parameters. The comparison between $rho$ and $omega$ data indicates a large room for meson exchange contribution to $omega$-meson photoproduction at low energies. It was found that at low energies the dominant contribution comes from $pi$ and $f_2$-meson exchanges. There is smooth transition between the meson exchange model at low energies and Regge theory at high energies.
Within the meson exchange model we study $omega$ meson photoproduction at energies above the s channel resonance region. Different model prescriptions for the $omega{NN}$ vertex function are investigated imposing gauge invariance as well as crossing
symmetry. The calculations reproduce the energy dependence of the differential $omega$ photoproduction cross sections at moderate $|u|$ for $E_gamma{le}4.7$ GeV, which previously were discussed as an indication of the hard interaction between the photon and quarks of the nucleon.
The differential cross sections and unpolarized spin-density matrix elements for the reaction $gamma pto pomega$ were measured using the CBELSA/TAPS experiment for initial photon energies ranging from the reaction threshold to 2.5 GeV. These observab
les were measured from the radiative decay of the $omega$ meson, $omegatopi^0gamma$. The cross sections cover the full angular range and show the full extent of the $t$-channel forward rise. The overall shape of the angular distributions in the differential cross sections and unpolarized spin-density matrix elements are in fair agreement with previous data. In addition, for the first time, a beam of linearly-polarized tagged photons in the energy range from 1150 MeV to 1650 MeV was used to extract polarized spin-density matrix elements. These data were included in the Bonn-Gatchina partial wave analysis (PWA). The dominant contribution to $omega$ photoproduction near threshold was found to be the $3/2^+$ partial wave, which is primarily due to the sub-threshold $N(1720),3/2^+$ resonance. At higher energies, pomeron-exchange was found to dominate whereas $pi$-exchange remained small. These $t$-channel contributions as well as further contributions from nucleon resonances were necessary to describe the entire dataset: the $1/2^-$, $3/2^-$, and $5/2^+$ partial waves were also found to contribute significantly.
The first measurements of the beam-target-helicity-asymmetries $E$ and $G$ in the photoproduction of $omega$-mesons off protons at the CBELSA/TAPS experiment are reported. $E$ ($G$) was measured using circularly (linearly) polarised photons and a lon
gitudinally polarised target. $E$ was measured over the photon energy range from close to threshold ($E_gamma = 1108$~MeV) to $E_gamma = 2300$~MeV and $G$ at a single energy interval of $1108 < E_gamma <1300$~MeV. Both measurements cover the full solid angle. The observables $E$ and $G$ are highly sensitive to the contribution of baryon resonances, with $E$ acting as a helicity filter in the $s$-channel. The new results indicate significant $s$-channel resonance contributions together with contributions from $t$-channel exchange processes. A partial wave analysis reveals strong contributions from the partial waves with spin-parity $J^P=3/2^+, 5/2^+$, and $3/2^-$.
Photoproduction of the $omega$ meson on the proton has been experimentally studied near the threshold. The total cross sections are determined at incident energies ranging from 1.09 to 1.15 GeV. The 1/2 and 3/2 spin-averaged scattering length $a_{ome
ga p}$ and effective range $r_{omega p}$ between the $omega$ meson and proton are estimated from the shape of the total cross section as a function of the incident photon energy: $a_{omega p} = left(-0.97^{+0.16_{rm stat}}_{-0.16_{rm stat}}{}^{+0.03_{rm syst}}_{-0.00_{rm syst}}right)+i left(0.07^{+0.15_{rm stat}}_{-0.14_{rm stat}}{}^{+0.17_{rm syst}}_{-0.09_{rm syst}}right)$ fm and $r_{omega p}=left(+2.78^{+0.68_{rm stat}}_{-0.54_{rm stat}}{}^{+0.11_{rm syst}}_{-0.13_{rm syst}}right)+ileft(-0.01^{+0.46_{rm stat}}_{-0.50_{rm stat}}{}^{+0.07_{rm syst}}_{-0.00_{rm syst}}right)$ fm, resulting in a repulsive force. The real and imaginary parts for $a_{omega p}$ and $r_{omega p}$ are determined separately for the first time. A small $P$-wave contribution does not affect the obtained values.