Recent Results from 2 pi-zero Photoproduction off the Proton
The reaction $\gamma p \to \pi^0 \pi^0 p$ has been measured using the TAPS BaF$_2$ calorimeter at the tagged photon facility of the Mainz Microtron accelerator in the beam energy range from threshold up to 820 MeV. Close to threshold, chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) predicts that this channel is significantly enhanced compared to double pion final states with charged pions. The strength is attributed dominantly to pion loops in the 2\Piz{} channel - a finding that opens new prospects for the test of ChPT. Our measurement is the first which is sensitive enough for a conclusive comparison with the ChPT calculation and is in agreement with its prediction. The data are also in agreement with a calculation in the unitary chiral approach. In the second resonance region, a recent model interpretation of new GRAAL data claimed a dominance of the $\Roper \to \sigma N$ reaction process. We present very accurate invariant mass distributions of ${\Piz \Piz}$ and ${\Piz p}$ systems, which are in contrast to the $\sigma N$ intermediate state and which show a dominance of the $\Delta \pi$ intermediate state.