The DEAR case

The scientific program and the experimental setup of the DEAR (DAΦNE Exotic Atom Research) experiment at the new φ-factory DAΦNE of Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, are described. The objective of DEAR is to perform a 1% measurement of the Kα line shift due to the strong interaction in kaonic hydrogen. A measurement will also be performed on kaonic deuterium for the first time. The aim is to investigate low-temperature pressurized gaseous target; and of a detector for soft X rays - the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)-characterized by a good resolution and by an unprecedented background rejection capability. The DEAR experiment represents a major effort in the study of low energy KN interactions and has the potential to produce a breakthrough in the field