2018/02/12 by F. Ferraro, M. P. Takács, D. Piatti +43
Physics and Astronomy · #Beam (structure) #Bismuth #Bismuth germanate #Branching fraction #Calorimeter (particle physics) #Detector #Neutrino Physics Research #Nuclear astrophysics #Nuclear physics research studies #Proton #Quantum Chromodynamics and Particle Interactions #Resonance (particle physics) #astro-ph.IM #nucl-ex
paper · pdf · doi:10.1140/epja/i2018-12476-7
published as Eur. Phys. J. A (2018) 54: 44 · 11 pages, 11 figures, accepted in Eur. Phys. Journal A
arxiv created 2018/02/12 · openalex created_date 2018/02/23 · openalex publication_date 2018/03/01 · arxiv updated 2018/03/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The experimental study of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest is greatly facilitated by a low-background, high-luminosity setup. The Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) 400 kV accelerator offers ultra-low cosmic-ray induced background due to its location deep underground in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (INFN-LNGS), Italy, and high intensity, 250-500 μA, proton and α ion beams. In order to fully exploit these features, a high-purity, recirculating gas target system for isotopically enriched gases is coupled to a high-efficiency, six-fold optically segmented bismuth germanate (BGO) γ-ray detector. The beam intensity is measured with a beam calorimeter with constant temperature gradient. Pressure and temperature measurements have been carried out at several positions along the beam path, and the resultant gas density profile has been determined. Calibrated γ-intensity standards and the well-known Ep = 278 keV \mathrm14N(p,γ)15O resonance were used to determine the γ-ray detection efficiency and to validate the simulation of the target and detector setup. As an example, the recently measured resonance at Ep = 189.5 keV in the 22Ne(p,γ)23Na reaction has been investigated with high statistics, and the γ-decay branching ratios of the resonance have been determined.