Exploring the reaction mechanism of eta prime photoproduction

We examine theoretical implications of studying the differential cross-section and some key polarization observables in the η′ photoproduction reaction off protons, from its threshold to about 2 GeV of cm energy, the region of the so-called “missing baryon resonances”. We compare implications of different models all of which generate the observed peak in the total η′ photproduction cross section, but have very different differential cross section and polarization profields. Their measurements are thus crucial in distinguishing these reaction mechanisms, of interest to understanding QCD in its nonperturbative domain.