The GRAAL facility produces a highly polarized gamma-ray beam by Compton scattering of laser photons on the electrons of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) at Grenoble. Preliminary results have been obtained with the LAGRANGE detector showing its excellent performances

Beam asymmetry and differential cross-section for the reaction gamma p -> eta p were measured from production threshold to 1500MeV photon laboratory energy. The two dominant neutral decay modes of the eta-meson, eta -> 2 gamma and eta -> 3 pi(0) , were analyzed. The full set of measurements is in good agreement with previously published results. Our data were compared with three models. They all fit satisfactorily the results but their respective resonance contributions are quite different. The possible photoexcitation of a narrow state N(1670) was investigated and no evidence was found.

Beam asymmetries and hyperon recoil polarizations for the reactions gamma p --> K+ Lambda and gamma p --> K+ Sigma(0) have been measured from the threshold production to 1500 MeV with the GRAAL facility located at the ESRF in Grenoble. These results complement the database for the beam asymmetry, covering for the first time the production threshold region. Recent theoretical analyses are presented for which the beam asymmetry data bring interesting new information and allow to better determine some resonance parameters. Most importantly, these results strengthen the need of a new D-13 state around 1900 MeV.

The double polarization (beam-recoil) observables O(x) and O(z) have been measured for the reaction gamma p -> K(+) Lambda from threshold production to E gamma similar to 1500 MeV. The data were obtained with the linearly polarized beam of the GRAAL facility. Values for the target asymmetry T could also be extracted despite the use of an unpolarized target. Analyses of our results by two isobar models tend to confirm the necessity to include new or poorly known resonances in the 1900 MeV mass region.

New experimental approach to study meson photoproduction in nuclei is discussed. It is based on the measurement of the recoil nucleon as a tagger for identification of the initial step of reaction. Propagation of mesons and nucleons within a nucleus is described by the Intra-Nuclear Cascade (INC) model. Simulations and preliminary experimental data for the deuteron target obtained at GRAAL are presented. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The total photoabsorption cross section on a free proton was measured at the GRAAL facility in the energy range E-gamma = 600-1500 MeV. The large-aperture LAGRAN gamma E detector and a liquid hydrogen target were used in the experiment performed with a back-scattered Compton gamma beam. To improve the accuracy, two alternative methods were employed. First, a subtraction method of using empty-target measurements allowed the cross section sigma(tot) to be evaluated directly because of a low level of the electromagnetic background. Second, an algorithm for evaluating sigma(tot) on the basis of summing the dominating partial cross sections was developed. Experimental results obtained for sigma(tot) by the two methods are compared with existing data.