Positive-Pion Photoproduction in the Backward Direction

Abstract

The reaction $\ensuremath{\gamma}+p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}+n$ has been measured for incident $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray energies from 0.7 to 8 GeV and recoil lab angles from 170\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} to 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} using the Cornell 10-GeV synchrotron. The data presented here cover the transition region between the resonance region and the high-energy region studied at SLAC. The results are compared with various phenomenological Regge-pole analyses and with similar data on ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0}$ photoproduction taken at DESY.