Abstract: We present a calculation of the gamma d -> K(+)K(-)np reaction with the aim of seeing whether the experimental peak observed in the K(+)n invariant mass around 1526 MeV, from where evidence for the existence of the Theta(+) has been claimed, can be obtained without this resonance as a consequence of the particular dynamics of the process and the cuts applied in the experimental setup. We find that a combination of facts leads indeed to a peak around 1530 MeV for the invariant mass of K(+)n without the need to invoke any new resonance around this energy. This, together with statistical fluctuations that we prove to be large with the statistics of the experiment, is likely to produce the narrower peak observed there.

Abstract: We present a work which is meant to inspire the few-body practitioners to venture into the study of new, more exotic, systems and to hadron physicists, working mostly on two-body problems, to move in the direction of studying related few-body systems. For this purpose we devote the discussions in the introduction to show how the input two-body amplitudes can be easily obtained using techniques of the chiral unitary theory, or its extensions to the heavy quark sector. We then briefly explain how these amplitudes can be used to solve the Faddeev equations or a simpler version obtained by treating the three-body scattering as that of a particle on a fixed center. Further, we give some examples of the results obtained by studying systems involving mesons. We have also addressed the field of many meson systems, which is currently almost unexplored, but for which we envisage a bright future. Finally, we give a complete list of works dealing with unconventional few-body systems involving one or several mesons, summarizing in this way the findings on the topic, and providing a motivation for those willing to investigate such systems.

Abstract: We study the photoproduction of phi mesons in deuteron, paying attention to the modification of the cross-section from bound protons to the free ones. For this purpose we take into account Fermi motion in single scattering and rescattering of phi to account for phi absorption on a second nucleon as well as the rescattering of the proton on the neutron. We find that the contribution of the double scattering for phi is much smaller than the typical cross-section of gamma p -> phi p in free space, which implies a very small screening of the phi production in deuteron. The contribution from the proton rescattering, on the other hand, is found to be not negligible compared to the cross-section of gamma p -> phi p in free space, and leads to a moderate reduction of the phi photoproduction cross-section on a deuteron at forward angles if the LEPS set-up is taken into account. The Fermi motion allows contribution of the single scattering in regions forbidden by phase-space in the free case. In particular, we find that for momentum transfer squared close to the maximum value, the Fermi motion changes drastically the shape of d sigma/dt, to the point that the ratio of this cross-section to the free one becomes very sensitive to the precise value of t chosen, or the size of the bin used in an experimental analysis. Hence, this particular region of t does not seem to be the most indicated to find effects of a possible phi absorption in the deuteron. This reaction is studied theoretically as a function of t and the results are contrasted with recent experiments at LEPS and Jefferson Lab. The effect of the experimental angular cuts at LEPS is also discussed, providing guidelines for future experimental analyses of the reaction.