Abstract: The neutron capture cross sections of several unstable key isotopes acting as branching points in the s-process are crucial for stellar nucleosynthesis studies, but they are very challenging to measure directly due to the difficult production of sufficient sample material, the high activity of the resulting samples, and the actual (n, gamma) measurement, where high neutron fluxes and effective background rejection capabilities are required. At present there are about 21 relevant s-process branching point isotopes whose cross section could not be measured yet over the neutron energy range of interest for astrophysics. However, the situation is changing with some very recent developments and upcoming technologies. This work introduces three techniques that will change the current paradigm in the field: the use of gamma-ray imaging techniques in (n,gamma) experiments, the production of moderated neutron beams using high-power lasers, and double capture experiments in Maxwellian neutron beams.

Abstract: Results on the deep sub-threshold production of the short-lived hadronic resonance K*(892)(0) are reported for collisions of Ar + KCl at 1.76 A GeV beam energy, studied with the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at SIS18/GSI. The K*(892)(0) production probability per central collision of P-K*0 = (4.4 +/- 1.1 +/- 0.5) x 10(-4) and the K*(892)(0)/K-0 ratio of P-K*0/P-K0 = (1.9 +/- 0.5 +/- 0.3) x 10(-2) are determined at the lowest energy so far (i.e. deep below the threshold for the corresponding production in nucleon-nucleon collisions, root s(NN)-root s(thr) = -340MeV). The K*(0)/K-0 ratio is compared with results of other experiments and with the predictions of the UrQMD transport approach and of the statistical hadronization model. The experimental K*(0) yield and the K-*0/K-0 ratio are overestimated by the transport model by factors of about five and two, respectively. In a chemically equilibrated medium the ratio corresponds to a temperature of the thermalized system being systematically lower than the value determined by the yields of the stable and long-lived hadrons produced in Ar + KCl collisions. From the present measurement, we conclude that sub-threshold K* production either cannot be considered to proceed in a system being in thermal equilibrium or these short-lived resonances appear undersaturated, for example as a result of the rescattering of the decay particles in the ambient hadronic medium.

Abstract: Results on pp, pi(+) pi(+), and pi-pi-intensity interferometry are reported for collisions of Ar+KCl at 1.76A GeV beam energy, studied with the High Acceptance Di-Electron Spectrometer (HADES) at SIS18/GSI. The experimental correlation functions as a function of the relative momentum are compared to model calculations allowing the determination of the space-time extent of the corresponding emission sources. The pp source radii are found significantly larger than the pp emission radius. The present radii do well complement the beam-energy dependences of Gaussian source radii of the collision system of size A + A similar or equal to 40 + 40. The pp source radius at fixed beam energy is found to increase linearly with the cube root of the number of participants. From this trend, a lower limit of the pp correlation radius is deduced.

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.

Abstract: The appearance of some papers dealing with the K(-)d -> pi Sigma n reaction, with some discrepancies in the results and a proposal to measure the reaction at forward n angles at J-PARC justifies to retake the theoretical study of this reaction. We do this in the present paper showing results using the Watson approach and the truncated Faddeev approach. We argue that the Watson approach is more suitable to study the reaction because it takes into account the potential energy of the nucleons forming the deuteron, which is neglected in the truncated Faddeev approach. The paper shows the strength and limitations of both approaches and we perform calculations using four different approximations. Comparison of the results shows that the truncated Faddeev approach produces a strong asymmetry between the energy of the two nucleons of the deuteron, while in the Watson approach this energy is equally shared. From the experimental point of view the results are very valuable since they show that the different approximations share the feature that the peak of the pi Sigma mass distribution is drastically shifted in the presence of the Lambda(1405). Additionally, we also show that in the angle-integrated cross section the threshold cusp effects are basically washed away and all approximations show a clear shape of the Lambda(1405). In this sense, measurements of all these magnitudes in different K- energies are bound to bring new information that sheds new light on the properties and nature of the Lambda(1405) resonance.