Pion and kaon photoproduction at high energies: forward and intermediate angles

A model for high energy pion and kaon photoproduction (E-gamma greater than or similar to 4 GeV) is presented which interpolates between the low and higher momentum transfer regions. At low momentum transfer (which is described in terms of Regge trajectory exchanges), the model is able to give an economical description of unpolarized and polarized data for both the charged and neutral pion photoproduction reactions as well as for K+ Lambda and K+ Sigma photoproduction data, available at high energy. At higher momentum transfer, an extrapolation based on saturating Regge trajectories, and which satisfies scaling laws at asymptotically large transfers, is found able to describe the few existing gamma p --> n pi(+) data. The model can be used as a guidance to interpret forthcoming data at larger momentum transfers, (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.