The research project aims at the investigation of the strong interaction via photon induced meson production reactions. Currently, experiments are done at the electron accelerators MAMI in Mainz and ELSA in Bonn, using polarized, tagged photon beams (linear and circular polarization), unpolarized as well as polarized (longitudinal, transverse) targets. Investigated is meson prodcution off the free proton (liquid hydrogen targets, buthanol frozen-spin targets), off the deuteron (liquid deuterium, deuterated buthanol), as well as other light nuclei (for example helium sisotopes). The decay products from the produced mesons (for example photons) are detectd with almost 4pi covering electromagnetic calorimeters (Crystasl Ball combined with part of the TAPS detector in Mainz, Crystal Barrel with part of the TAPS detector in Bonn).

In addition, R&D work and during the period 2013/2014 also construction work ,for the new PANDA detector at the FAIR facility in Darmstadt will be done. The PANDA facility will offfer in the second halft of this decade completely new opportunities for the investigation of the fundamental properties of the strong interaction with the use of Anti-Proton beams.