Omega photoproduction beyond the resonance region at small u

Abstract

Within the meson exchange model we study $\omega$ meson photoproduction at energies above the s channel resonance region. Different model prescriptions for the $\omega{NN}$ vertex function are investigated imposing gauge invariance as well as crossing symmetry. The calculations reproduce the energy dependence of the differential $\omega$ photoproduction cross sections at moderate $|u|$ for $E_\gamma{\le}4.7$ GeV, which previously were discussed as an indication of the hard interaction between the photon and quarks of the nucleon.