Development of high efficiency, segemented LaBr₃ setup for nuclear astrophysics

Abstract

A 12-detector circular array and 14 individual detectors, shielded and then some unshielded, were tested to evaluate performance in different configurations. The detectors' intrinsic background radiation and energy resolution were analyzed. Spectral analysis was performed on key energy regions like the double peak around 1470 keV. Background count rates and energy resolution were compared across detectors to assess uniformity. The results demonstrate the suitability of the LaBr₃(Ce) setup for high-precision gamma-ray spectroscopy in nuclear astrophysics applications.