Observation of a backward peak in the gamma d ---> pi0 d cross- section near the eta threshold

High-quality cross sections for the reaction gamma+d->pi^0+d have been measured using the CLAS at Jefferson Lab over a wide energy range near and above the eta-meson photoproduction threshold. At backward c.m. angles for the outgoing pions, we observe a resonance-like structure near E_gamma=700 MeV. Our model analysis shows that it can be explained by eta excitation in the intermediate state. The effect is the result of the contribution of the N(1535)S_11 resonance to the amplitudes of the subprocesses occurring between the two nucleons and of a two-step process in which the excitation of an intermediate eta meson dominates.