Abstract: We present the design, prototype developments and test results of the new time-of-flight detector (ToFD) which is part of the R3B experimental setup at GSI and FAIR, Darmstadt, Germany. The ToFD detector is able to detect heavy-ion residues of all charges at relativistic energies with a relative energy precision sigma_Delta E/Delta E of up to 1% and a time precision of up to 14 ps (sigma). Together with an elaborate particle-tracking system, the full identification of relativistic ions from hydrogen up to uranium in mass and nuclear charge is possible.

Abstract: We present a new reaction, complementary to from which an h (1) resonance with mass around 1830 MeV was reported from a BESIII experiment. The new reaction is , or . Using the information from the analysis of , we find that the invariant mass distribution for those two Iu decays exhibits a clear peak around 1830 MeV perfectly distinguishable from what one obtains with pure phase space. We suggest the implementation of these reactions to assert the existence of this elusive resonance which, by its nature as a vector-vector molecule with 0(-)(1(+-)) quantum numbers, only couples to the channel.

Abstract: We study the appearance of structures in the decay of the B- into K-pi D--(s0)+ (2317) and K-pi D--(s1)+ (2460) final states by forming invariant mass distributions of pi D--(s0)+ and pi D--(s1)+ pairs, respectively. The structure in the distribution is associated to the kinematical triangle singularity that appears when the B- -> K- K*(0) D-0 (B- -> K- K*(0) D*(0)) decay process is followed by the decay of the K*(0) into pi(-) K+ and the subsequent rescattering of the K+ D-0 (K+ D*(0)) pair forming the D-s0(+) (2317) (D-s1(+) (2460)) resonance. We find this type of non-resonant peaks at 2850MeV in the invariant mass of pi D--(s0) pairs from B- -> K- pi(-) D-s0(+) (2317) decays and around 3000MeV in the invariant mass of pi D--(s1)+ pairs from B- -> K- pi(-) D-s1(+)(2460) decays. By employing the measured branching ratios of the B- -> K- K*(0) D-0 and B- -> K- K*(0) D*(0) decays, we predict the branching ratios for the processes B- into K-pi D--(s0)+ (2317) K-pi D--(s1)+ (2460), in the vicinity of the triangle singularity peak, to be about 8 x 10(-6) and 1 x 10(-6), respectively. The observation of this reaction would also give extra support to the molecular picture of the D-s0(+)(2317) and D-s1(+)(2460).

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.

Abstract: In pure-glue QCD, gluon-gluon scattering in the J(PC) = 0(-+) channel is described by a very simple equation, especially if one considers just the leading contribution to the scattering kernel. Of all components in this kernel, only the three-gluon vertex, V-mu nu rho, is poorly constrained by contemporary analyses; hence, calculations of 0(-+) glueball properties serve as a clear window onto the character and form of V-mu nu rho. This is important given that many modern calculations of V-mu nu rho predict the appearance of an infrared suppression in the scalar function which comes to modulate the bare vertex after the nonperturbative resummation of interactions. Such behaviour is a peculiar prediction; but we find that the suppression is essential if one is to achieve agreement with lattice-QCD predictions for the 0(-+) glueball mass. Hence, it is likely that this novel feature of V-mu nu rho is real and has observable implications for the spectrum, decays and interactions of all QCD bound-states.