An actively vetoed Clover gamma-detector for nuclear astrophysics at LUNA

Abstract

An escape-suppressed, composite high-purity germanium detector of the Clover type has been installed at the Laboratory for Underground Nuclear Astrophysics (LUNA) facility, deep underground in the Gran Sasso Laboratory, Italy. The laboratory gamma-ray background of the Clover detector has been studied underground at LUNA and, for comparison, also in an overground laboratory. Spectra have been recorded both for the single segments and for the virtual detector formed by online addition of all four segments. The effect of the escape-suppression shield has been studied as well. Despite their generally higher intrinsic background, escape-suppressed detectors are found to be well suited for underground nuclear astrophysics studies. As an example for the advantage of using a composite detector deep underground, the weak ground state branching of the Ep = 223 keV resonance in the 24Mg(p,gamma)25Al reaction is determined with improved precision.

arXiv comment8 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables; as accepted by Eur. Phys. J. A

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• A new study of the ${}^{22}$Ne(p,$\gamma$)${}^{23}$Na reaction deep underground: Feasibility, setup, and first observation of the 186 keV resonance
• Underground nuclear astrophysics: why and how
• Neutron-induced background by an alpha-beam incident on a deuterium gas target and its implications for the study of the 2H(alpha,gamma)6Li reaction at LUNA
• New proton-capture rates on carbon isotopes and their impact on the astrophysical ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}/{}^{13}\mathrm{C}$ ratio
• Background in $\gamma$-ray detectors and carbon beam tests in the Felsenkeller shallow-underground accelerator laboratory
• Cosmic-ray induced background intercomparison with actively shielded HPGe detectors at underground locations
• The Felsenkeller shallow-underground laboratory for nuclear astrophysics
• Progress of the Felsenkeller shallow-underground accelerator for nuclear astrophysics
• Study of the ${}^{20}$Ne($p,\gamma$)${}^{21}$Na reaction at LUNA