Rescattering effects in the reaction γd → π−pp

Experimental data for the tensor analyzing power [Formula: see text] in the [Formula: see text] reaction were obtained in the photon energy range from 400 to 650 MeV, with the proton momenta in the laboratory system exceeding 400 MeV/c. The data were taken at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics using an internal tensor-polarized gas deuterium target and tagged photons. The incident photons in the photoproduction reaction [Formula: see text] correspond to quasi-real virtual photons generated via electron scattering in the electroproduction process [Formula: see text] at small four-momentum transfer. The two final protons were detected in coincidence. The tensor analyzing power [Formula: see text] was extracted from the yield asymmetry observed upon reversal of the sign of the deuteron tensor polarization. The experimental results are compared with statistical simulations performed within the framework of a spectator model that includes interaction between the final particles. The comparison demonstrates that accounting for the interaction effects significantly improves the agreement with the data.