First measurement of coherent phi-meson photoproduction on deuteron at low energies

The cross section and decay angular distributions for the coherent phi-meson photoproduction on the deuteron have been measured for the first time up to a squared four-momentum transfer t=(p(gamma)-p(phi))(2)=-2 GeV(2)/c(2), using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The cross sections are compared with predictions from a rescattering model. In a framework of vector meson dominance, the data are consistent with the total phi-N cross section sigma(phi N) at about 10 mb. If vector meson dominance is violated, a larger sigma(phi N) is possible by introducing a larger t slope for the phi N ->phi N process than that for the gamma N ->phi N process. The decay angular distributions of the phi are consistent with helicity conservation.