High-Energy Photoproduction ofρ0andφMesons: A Composite View of Vector Mesons

We construct a model of high-energy ${\rho }^0$- and $\phi$-meson photoproduction in which the incident photon produces a charged pion (kaon) pair near the target. The photon coupling to the meson pair is just the electric charge $e$. A virtual meson undergoes diffraction scattering from the target and the ${\rho }^0\left(\phi \right)$ is seen as a final-state interaction of the meson pair. There are no free parameters in the model. Agreement with presently existing high-energy experiments is quite good.