Abstract: We develop a model for the pp -> pi(+)d reaction based on the pp -> Delta(1232)N transition followed by Delta(1232) -> pi N' decay and posterior fusion of NN' to give the deuteron. We show that the triangle diagram depicting this process develops a triangle singularity leading to a large cross section of this reaction compared to ordinary fusion reactions. The results of the calculation also show that the process is largely dominated by the pp system in L = 2 and S = 0, which transfers J = 2 to the final pi(+)d system. This feature is shown to be well suited to provide L = 2, S = 1, and J(tot) = 3 for np in the np(I = 0) pi(-)pp reaction followed by the pp -> pi(+)d reaction, which has been proposed recently, as a means of describing the so far assumed dibaryon d* (2380) peak.

Abstract: This review focuses on the calculation of infinite nuclear matter response functions using phenomenological finite-range interactions, equipped or not with tensor terms. These include Gogny and Nakada families, which are commonly used in the literature. Because of the finite-range, the main technical difficulty stems from the exchange terms of the particle-hole interaction. We first present results based on the so-called Landau and Landau-like approximations of the particle-hole interaction. Then, we review two methods which in principle provide numerically exact response functions. The first one is based on a multipolar expansion of both the particle-hole interaction and the particle-hole propagator and the second one consists in a continued fraction expansion of the response function. The numerical precision can be pushed to any degree of accuracy, but it is actually shown that two or three terms suffice to get converged results. Finally, we apply the formalism to the determination of possible finite-size instabilities induced by a finite-range interaction.

Abstract: Axions, if realized in nature, can be copiously produced in the early universe via thermal processes, contributing to the mass-energy density of thermal hot relics. In light of the most recent cosmological observations, we analyse two different thermal processes within a realistic mixed hot dark matter scenario which includes also massive neutrinos. Considering the axion-gluon thermalization channel, we derive our most constraining bounds on the hot relic masses m(a) < 7.46 eV and Sigma m(nu) < 0.114 eV both at 95 percent CL; while studying the axion-pion scattering, without assuming any specific model for the axion-pion interactions, and remaining in the range of validity of the chiral perturbation theory, our most constraining bounds are improved to m(a) < 0.91 eV and Sigma m(nu) < 0.105 eV, both at 95 percent CL. Interestingly, in both cases, the total neutrino mass lies very close to the inverted neutrino mass ordering prediction. If future terrestrial double beta decay and/or long-baseline neutrino experiments find that the nature mass ordering is the inverted one, this could rule out a wide region in the currently allowed thermal axion window. Our results therefore, strongly support multi messenger searches of axions and neutrino properties, together with joint analyses of their expected sensitivities.