Abstract: We have investigated the ability of AGATA triple clusters to measure the linear polarization of gamma rays, exploiting the azimuthal-angle dependence of the Compton scattering differential cross section. To this aim, partially polarized gamma rays have been produced by Coulomb excitation of the first excited state of Pd-104 and Pd-108, which decay to the ground state by emission of gamma rays of 555.8 keV and 433.9 keV, respectively. Pulse-shape analysis and gamma-ray tracking techniques have been used to determine the position and time sequence of the interaction points inside the germanium crystals. Anisotropies in the detection efficiency have been taken into account using 661.6 keV gammas from a Cs-137 radioactive source. We obtain an average analyzing power of 0.451(34) at 433.9 keV and 0.484(24) at 555.8 keV.

Abstract: In analogy to the f(0)(500), which appears as a pi pi resonance in chiral unitary theory, and the f(0)(980), which appears as a quasibound K (K) over bar state, the extension of this approach to the charm sector also predicts a quasibound D (D) over bar state with mass around 3720 MeV, named as X(3700), for which some experimental support is seen in the e(+)e(-) -> J/psi D (D) over bar reaction close to the D (D) over bar threshold. In the present work we propose three different experiments to observe it as a clear peak. The first one is the radiative decay of the psi(3770), psi(3770) -> gamma X(3700) -> gamma eta eta'. The second one proposes the analogous reaction psi(4040) -> gamma X(3700) -> gamma eta eta' and the third reaction is the e(+)e(-) -> J/psi X(3700) -> J/psi eta eta'. Neat peaks are predicted for all the reactions and the calculated rates are found within measurable range in present facilities.

Abstract: The NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) project aims at the construction of a new high-efficiency compact neutron detector array to be coupled with large gamma-ray arrays such as AGATA. The application of NEDA ranges from its use as selective neutron multiplicity filter for fusion-evaporation reaction to a large solid angle neutron tagging device. In the present work, possible configurations for the NEDA coupled with the Neutron Wall for the early implementation with AGATA has been simulated, using Monte Carlo techniques, in order to evaluate their performance figures. The goal of this early NEDA implementation is to improve, with respect to previous instruments, efficiency and capability to select multiplicity for fusion-evaporation reaction channels in which 1, 2 or 3 neutrons are emitted. Each NEDA detector unit has the shape of a regular hexagonal prism with a volume of about 3.23 l and it is filled with the EJ301 liquid scintillator, that presents good neutron-gamma discrimination properties. The simulations have been performed using a fusion-evaporation event generator that has been validated with a set of experimental data obtained in the Ni-58 + Fe-56 reaction measured with the Neutron Wall detector array.