Probing Generalized Parton Distributions Through the Photoproduction of a $\gamma \pi $ Pair

We study in the framework of collinear QCD factorization the photoproduction of a $\gamma\,\pi$ pair with a large invariant mass and a small transverse momentum, as a new way to access generalized parton distributions. In the kinematics of JLab 12-GeV, we demonstrate the feasibility of this measurement and show the extreme sensitivity of the unpolarized cross section to the axial quark GPDs.