Role of Photoproduction in Exotic Meson Searches

Abstract

We discuss two production mechanisms of the $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$ exotic meson, hadroproduction, using pion beams and photoproduction. We show that the ratio of exotic to non-exotic, in particular the $a_2$, meson production cross sections is expected to be by a factor of 5 to 10 larger, in photoproduction then in hadroproduction. Furthermore we show that the low-t photoproduction of exotic meson is enhanced as compared to hadronic production. This findings support the simple quark picture in which exotic meson production is predicted to be enhanced when the beam is a virtual $Q\bar Q$ pair with a spin-1 (photon) rather then with a spin-0 (pion).