  The production of eta and eta-prime mesons in elementary nucleon-nucleon
collisions has been investigated at the synchrotrons CELSIUS, COSY and SATURNE.
The magnitude and energy dependence of the total cross section as well as the
occupation distribution of the phase space serve as observables for
investigating the mechanisms underlying the production processes and the
interaction of mesons with nucleons. The precise data on the eta and eta-prime
creation via the pp --> pp eta(eta-prime) reactions allowed to settle the
general features of the eta and eta-prime meson production and revealed the
sensitivity of the mentioned observables to the nucleon-nucleon-meson final
state interaction. The particular production properties, like for example the
determination of the dominating exchange processes which lead to the excitation
of the S_11 nucleon isobar in the case of eta creation, must be established by
confrontation with other observables. The present status of this investigation
with an emphasis on the results of the COSY-11 collaboration is briefly
presented. The available data are interpreted in view of the production
mechanism and the meson-nucleon interaction.

Nuclear Experiment