The cross section and decay angular distributions for the coherent \phi meson photoproduction on the deuteron have been measured for the first time up to a squared four-momentum transfer t =(p_{ \gamma}-p_{ \phi})^2 =-2 GeV^2/c^2, using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The cross sections are compared with predictions from a re-scattering model. In a framework of vector meson dominance, the data are consistent with the total \phi-N cross section \sigma_{ \phi N} at about 10 mb. If vector meson dominance is violated, a larger \sigma_{ \phi N} is possible by introducing larger t-slope for the \phi N \to \phi N process than that for the \gamma N \to \phi N process. The decay angular distributions of the \phi are consistent with helicity conservation.
Categories: nucl-ex