First measurement of coherent $phi$-meson photoproduction on deuteron at low energies

The cross section and decay angular distributions for the coherent phi meson photoproduction on the deuteron have been measured for the first time up to a squared four-momentum transfer t =(p_{gamma}-p_{phi})^2 =-2 GeV^2/c^2, using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The cross sections are compared with predictions from a re-scattering model. In a framework of vector meson dominance, the data are consistent with the total phi-N cross section sigma_{phi N} at about 10 mb. If vector meson dominance is violated, a larger sigma_{phi N} is possible by introducing larger t-slope for the phi N to phi N process than that for the gamma N to phi N process. The decay angular distributions of the phi are consistent with helicity conservation.