Diffractive dissociation of quasi–real photons at a photon–proton centre of mass energy of W ≈ 200 GeV is studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The process under consideration is γp → XN , where X is the diffractively dissociated photon system of mass MX and N is either a proton or a nucleonic system with mass MN < 2 GeV. The cross section for this process in the interval 3 < MX < 24 GeV relative to the total photoproduction cross section was measured to be σ D /σtot = 6.2 ± 0.2(stat) ± 1.4(syst)%. After extrapolating this result to the mass interval of mφ < M 2 X < 0.05W 2 and correcting it for proton dissociation, the fraction of the total cross section attributed to single diffractive photon dissociation, γp → Xp, is found to be σSD/σtot = 13.3 ± 0.5(stat) ± 3.6(syst)%. The mass spectrum of the dissociated photon system in the interval 8 < MX < 24 GeV can be described by the triple pomeron (IPIPIP) diagram with an effective pomeron intercept of αIP (0) = 1.12 ± 0.04(stat) ± 0.08(syst). The cross section for photon dissociation in the range 3 < MX < 8 GeV is significantly higher than that expected from the triple pomeron amplitude describing the region 8 < MX < 24 GeV. Assuming that this discrepancy is due to a pomeron–pomeron–reggeon (IPIPIR) term, its contribution to the diffractive cross section in the interval 3 < MX < 24 GeV is estimated to be fIP IPIR = 26 ± 3(stat) ± 12(syst)%. The ZEUS Collaboration J. Breitweg, M. Derrick, D. Krakauer, S. Magill, D. Mikunas, B. Musgrave, J. Repond, R. Stanek, R.L. Talaga, R. Yoshida, H. Zhang Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA p M.C.K. Mattingly Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA F. Anselmo, P. Antonioli, G. Bari, M. Basile, L. Bellagamba, D. Boscherini, A. Bruni, G. Bruni, G. Cara Romeo, G. Castellini, L. Cifarelli, F. Cindolo, A. Contin, M. Corradi, S. De Pasquale, I. Gialas, P. Giusti, G. Iacobucci, G. Laurenti, G. Levi, A. Margotti, T. Massam, R. Nania, F. Palmonari, A. Pesci, A. Polini, G. Sartorelli, Y. Zamora Garcia, A. Zichichi University and INFN Bologna, Bologna, Italy f C. Amelung, A. Bornheim, I. Brock, K. Coböken, J. Crittenden, R. Deffner, M. Eckert, L. Feld, M. Grothe, H. Hartmann, K. Heinloth, L. Heinz, E. Hilger, H.-P. Jakob, U.F. Katz, E. Paul, M. Pfeiffer, Ch. Rembser, J. Stamm, R. Wedemeyer Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany c D.S. Bailey, S. Campbell-Robson, W.N. Cottingham, B. Foster, R. Hall-Wilton, M.E. Hayes, G.P. Heath, H.F. Heath, D. Piccioni, D.G. Roff, R.J. Tapper H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K. o M. Arneodo, R. Ayad, M. Capua, A. Garfagnini, L. Iannotti, M. Schioppa, G. Susinno Calabria University, Physics Dept.and INFN, Cosenza, Italy f J.Y. Kim, J.H. Lee, I.T. Lim, M.Y. Pac Chonnam National University, Kwangju, Korea h A. Caldwell, N. Cartiglia, Z. Jing, W. Liu, J.A. Parsons, S. Ritz, S. Sampson, F. Sciulli, P.B. Straub, Q. Zhu Columbia University, Nevis Labs., Irvington on Hudson, N.Y., USA q P. Borzemski, J. Chwastowski, A. Eskreys, Z. Jakubowski, M.B. Przybycień, M. Zachara, L. Zawiejski Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Cracow, Poland j L. Adamczyk, B. Bednarek, K. Jeleń, D. Kisielewska, T. Kowalski, M. Przybycień, E. Rulikowska-Zarȩbska, L. Suszycki, J. Zaja̧c Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques, Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Cracow, Poland j Z. Duliński, A. Kotański Jagellonian Univ., Dept. of Physics, Cracow, Poland k G. Abbiendi, L.A.T. Bauerdick, U. Behrens, H. Beier, J.K. Bienlein, G. Cases, O. Deppe, K. Desler, G. Drews, U. Fricke, D.J. Gilkinson, C. Glasman, P. Göttlicher, J. Große-Knetter, T. Haas, W. Hain, D. Hasell, H. Heßling, K.F. Johnson, M. Kasemann, W. Koch, U. Kötz, H. Kowalski, J. Labs, L. Lindemann, B. Löhr, M. Löwe, J. Mainusch, O. Mańczak, J. Milewski, T. Monteiro, J.S.T. Ng, D. Notz, K. Ohrenberg, I.H. Park, A. Pellegrino, F. Pelucchi, K. Piotrzkowski, M. Roco, M. Rohde, J. Roldán, A.A. Savin, U. Schneekloth, W. Schulz, F. Selonke, B. Surrow, E. Tassi, T. Voß, D. Westphal, G. Wolf, U. Wollmer, C. Youngman, A.F. Żarnecki, W. Zeuner Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg, Germany B.D. Burow, H.J. Grabosch, A. Meyer, S. Schlenstedt DESY-IfH Zeuthen, Zeuthen, Germany G. Barbagli, E. Gallo, P. Pelfer University and INFN, Florence, Italy f G. Maccarrone, L. Votano INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy f