Hard scattering and Δσ exchange in backward photoproduction of Δ++π−

Abstract A tagged photon beam and multiparticle spectrometer have been used to measure the backward photoproduction process γp → Δ ++ π − . The energy dependence of the production cross section between 2.8 and 4.8 GeV is studied and found to exhibit shrinkage in excess of that expected for Δ σ dominance. An interpretation of the production mechanism in terms of an incoherent mixture of Δ σ exchange and a “hard scattering” contribution is presented.