Photoproduction of Positive Pions from Hydrogen at Energies Near the First Resonance

Angular distributions for positive-pion photoproduction from liquid hydrogen have been measured at photon energies near 225, 250, 275, 300, and 350 MeV. These have been normalized to an absolute cross section near the peak of the first resonance, measured by means of a polyethylene-carbon subtraction using solid targets. The results are compared with results of previous experiments as well as several dispersion-theoretic predictions of the cross sections. The data can be fitted within the experimental and theoretical uncertainties by a theoretical calculation containing only the pion pole term and the transition to the $P_{3,3}$ state due to the first resonance.