New detection systems for an enhanced sensitivity in key stellar (n,γ) measurements
Authors: Lerendegui-Marco J. , Babiano-Suárez V. , Balibrea-Correa J. , Domingo-Pardo C. , Ladarescu I. , Tarifeño-Saldivia A. , Alcayne V. , Cano-Ott D. , González-Romero E. , Martínez T. , Mendoza E. , Guerrero C. , Calviño F. , Casanovas A. , Köster U. , Chiera N. M. , Dressler R. , Maugeri E. A. , Schumann D. , Aberle O. , Altieri S. , Amaducci S. , Andrzejewski J. , Bacak M. , Beltrami C. , Bennett S. , Bernardes A. P. , Berthoumieux E. , Beyer R. , Boromiza M. , Bosnar D. , Caamaño M. , Calviani M. , Cerutti F. , Cescutti G. , Chiaveri E. , Colombetti P. , Colonna N. , Console Camprini P. , Cortés G. , Cortés-Giraldo M. A. , Cosentino L. , Cristallo S. , Dellmann S. , Di Castro M. , Di Maria S. , Diakaki M. , Dietz M. , Dupont E. , Durán I. , Eleme Z. , Fargier S. , Fernández B. , Fernández-Domínguez B. , Finocchiaro P. , Fiore S. , García-Infantes F. , Gawlik-Ramięga A. , Gervino G. , Gilardoni S. , Gunsing F. , Gustavino C. , Heyse J. , Hillman W. , Jenkins D. G. , Jericha E. , Junghans A. , Kadi Y. , Kaperoni K. , Kaur G. , Kimura A. , Knapová I. , Kokkoris M. , Krtička M. , Kyritsis N. , Lederer-Woods C. , Lerner G. , Manna A. , Masi A. , Massimi C. , Mastinu P. , Mastromarco M. , Mazzone A. , Mengoni A. , Michalopoulou V. , Milazzo P. M. , Mucciola R. , Murtas F. , Musacchio-Gonzalez E. , Musumarra A. , Negret A. , Pérez de Rada A. , Pérez-Maroto P. , Patronis N. , Pavón-Rodríguez J. A. , Pellegriti M. G. , Perkowski J. , Petrone C. , Pirovano E. , Plaza J. , Pomp S. , Porras I. , Praena J. , Quesada J. M. , Reifarth R. , Rochman D. , Romanets Y. , Rubbia C. , Sánchez-Caballero A. , Sabaté-Gilarte M. , Schillebeeckx P. , Sekhar A. , Smith A. G. , Sosnin N. V. , Stamati M. E. , Sturniolo A. , Tagliente G. , Tarrío D. , Torres-Sánchez P. , Vagena E. , Valenta S. , Variale V. , Vaz P. , Vecchio G. , Vescovi D. , Vlachoudis V. , Vlastou R. , Wallner A. , Woods P. J. , Wright T. , Zarrella R. , Žugec P. 
Published: March 2023

Neutron capture cross-section measurements are fundamental in the study of astrophysical phenomena, such as the slow neutron capture (s-) process of nucleosynthesis operating in red-giant and massive stars. However, neutron capture measurements via the time-of-flight (TOF) technique on key s-process nuclei are often challenging. Difficulties arise from the limited mass (∼mg) available and the high sample-related background in the case of the unstable s-process branching points. Measurements on neutron magic nuclei, that act as s-process bottlenecks, are affected by low (n,γ) cross sections and a dominant neutron scattering background. Overcoming these experimental challenges requires the combination of facilities with high instantaneous flux, such as n_TOFEAR2, with detection systems with an enhanced detection sensitivity and high counting rate capabilities. This contribution reviews some of the latest detector developments in detection systems for (n,γ) measurements at n_TOF, such as i-TED, an innovative detection system which exploits the Compton imaging technique to reduce the dominant neutron scattering background and s-TED, a highly segmented total energy detector intended for high flux facilities. The discussion will be illustrated with results of the first measurement of key the s-process branching-point reaction 79Se(n,γ).