Extracting the Cross Section of ρ Meson Photoproduction in Deuterium

Measuring semi-inclusive photoproduction is a fundamental method for understanding photon-hadron interactions via new facilities shining light on the reaction mechanisms. While much attention has been placed on photon-proton interactions, the interactions of real, high-energy photons with neutrons have been more challenging to access due to the lack of free neutron targets. The SRC-CT experiment (E12-19-003) utilized the GlueX detector at Hall D of Jefferson Lab to investigate meson photoproduction in deuterium, providing a valuable sample of effective neutron-target data with a real photon beam. In this talk, we will present preliminary results on the cross-sections for the reactions γ + n →ρ^- + p and γ + p →ρ⁰ + p, extracted by measuring the semi-inclusive photoproduction of \rho mesons from deuterium targets. We will compare these processes and comment on the differences in the reaction mechanisms.