A Coupled Partial Wave Analysis of $p\eta$ and $p\eta'$ in photoproduction using CLAS

In late 2004, a very large photoproduction data set was collected using the CLAS detector at Jefferson Lab. This data set contains several hundred thousand events of the type $\gamma p \rightarrow \eta p $ and $\gamma p \rightarrow \eta\prime p $. Results of a coupled partial wave analysis, (pwa), of these two data sets will be presented. The pwa analysis uses a covariant tensor formalism with the aim of disentangling resonance structure in the $\eta p$ and $\eta\prime p$ systems. Such a formalism also allows a method to handle $t$-channel contributions to the cross sections. In addition, the use of a coupled channel approach takes advantage of the fact that given sufficient phase space, all intermediate states that couple to $\eta$ must also couple to $\eta\prime$. Given both the different acceptances and systematic errors for the two data sets, this provides for a more contrained method of pulling out partial waves from the two data sets.