Photoproduction of the φ(1020) Near Threshold

The photoproduction of φ-mesons on the proton was measured at The Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility using a liquid hydrogen target and the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS). The energy of the tagged, bremsstrahlung photons ranged from φ-threshold to 3.8 GeV, and the φ(1020) was identified in the channels φ→K+K- and φ→KsK1. The differential cross sections were determined in bins of photon energy and momentum transfer. It is demonstrated that the behavior for low momentum transfer is consistent with diffractive production while the larger momentum transfer indicate the need for mechanisms beyond single Pomeron exchange.