$\eta$ and $\eta\prime$ photoproduction off the proton

The photoproduction of $\eta$ and $\eta\prime$ mesons (I=1/2) serves as an isospin filter facilitating the study of $N^*$ resonances. Total and differential cross sections for these mesons have been determined using the Crystal Barrel CsI(Tl) calorimeter at ELSA, University of Bonn in Germany, in the energy range $E_{\gamma}$ = 850 to 2550 MeV by analyzing the neutral decay modes: $\eta\rightarrow3\pi^0$, $\eta\rightarrow2\gamma$, and $\eta\prime\rightarrow2\pi^0\eta$. In this experiment, the $\rm BaF_2$ spectrometer TAPS was placed in the forward direction increasing the solid angle coverage to nearly $4\pi$. For the first time, these measurements cover the full angular range in $\cos{\theta^{\rm cms}_{\rm meson}}$. In separate beam time using the same detector setup, linearly polarized photons were produced by coherent bremsstrahlung off a diamond radiator to allow the extraction of the photon beam asymmetry, $\Sigma$. Preliminary results for pseudoscalar mesons in the range $E_{\gamma}$ = 1100 to 1700 MeV are discussed.