Coherentπ0Photoproduction from the Deuteron

Coherent ${\pi }^0$ photoproduction from the deuteron has been measured at 180° pion angle for photon energies from 200 to 300 MeV by detecting momentum-analyzed recoil deuterons. The observed cross sections are compared with the results of the impulse-approximation calculation of Hadjioannou and show a large reduction of the cross section. Results of this and other experiments on coherent ${\pi }^0$ photoproduction have been compared to the theory: The impulse approximation seems most valid as transfer increases and for an incident photon energy between the first and second pion-nucleon resonances. A comparison with elastic pion-deuteron scattering is also performed in order to check the pion multiple-scattering corrections.