Photoproduction of ηπ pairs off nucleons and deuterons

Quasi-free photoproduction of πη-pairs has been investigated from threshold up to incident photon energies of 1.4 GeV, respectively up to photon-nucleon invariant masses up to 1.9 GeV. Total cross sections, angular distributions, invariant-mass distributions of the πη and meson-nucleon pairs, and beamhelicity asymmetries have been measured for the reactions γp → pπ0η, γn → nπ0η, γp → nπ+η, and γn → pπ-n from nucleons bound inside the deuteron. For the γp initial-state data for free protons have also been analyzed. Finally, the total cross sections for quasi-free production of π0η pairs from nucleons bound in 3He nuclei have been investigated in view of final state interaction (FSI) effects. The experiments were performed at the tagged photon beam facility of the Mainz MAMI accelerator using an almost 4π covering electromagnetic calorimeter composed of the Crystal Ball and TAPS detectors. The shapes of all differential cross section data and the asymmetries are very similar for protons and neutrons and agree with the conjecture that the reactions are dominated by the sequential Δ*3/2- → ηΔ(1232) → πηN decay chain, mainly with Δ(1700)3/2- and Δ(1940)3/2-. The ratios of the magnitude of the total cross sections also agree with this assumption. However, the absolute magnitudes of the cross sections are reduced by FSI effects with respect to free proton data.