  Cross sections and photon asymmetries of the exclusive 16O(\gamma,pn)14N and
16O(\gamma,pp)14C knockout reactions are calculated for transitions to the
low-lying discrete final states of the residual nucleus in the photon-energy
range between 100 and 400 MeV. Exclusive reactions may represent a test of
reaction mechanisms and a promising tool for investigating the dynamics of
nucleon pairs in different states. Cross sections and asymmetries for both
(\gamma,pn) and (\gamma,pp) turn out to be only slightly affected by
short-range correlations and dominated by two-body currents. Therefore,
two-nucleon knockout reactions induced by real photons appear well suited to
investigate the nuclear current and the selectivity of individual transitions
to its different components.

Nuclear Theory