Exclusive ϱ0 and φ muoproduction at large Q2

Abstract Exclusive ϱ 0 and φ muoproduction on deuterium, carbon and calcium has been studied in the kinematic range 2 Q 2 2 and 40 Q 2 dependence of the cross sections, the transverse momentum distributions for the vector mesons, the decay angular distributions and, in the case of the ϱ 0 , nuclear effects. The data for 0 production are compatible with a diffractive mechanism. The distinct features of φ production are a smaller cross section and less steep p t 2 distributions than those for the 0 mesons.