Experimental data for the tensor analyzing power \(T_{20}\) in the \(\gamma d \rightarrow \pi ^{-} p p\) reaction were obtained in the photon energy range from 400 to 650 MeV, with the proton momenta in the laboratory system exceeding 400 MeV/c. The data were taken at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics using an internal tensor-polarized gas deuterium target and tagged photons. The incident photons in the photoproduction reaction \(\gamma d \rightarrow \pi ^{-} p p\) correspond to quasi-real virtual photons generated via electron scattering in the electroproduction process \(e d \rightarrow e\pi ^{-} p p\) at small four-momentum transfer. The two final protons were detected in coincidence. The tensor analyzing power \(T_{20}\) was extracted from the yield asymmetry observed upon reversal of the sign of the deuteron tensor polarization. The experimental results are compared with statistical simulations performed within the framework of a spectator model that includes interaction between the final particles. The comparison demonstrates that accounting for the interaction effects significantly improves the agreement with the data.
