Characterization of the LUNA neutron detector array for the measurement of the 13C(α, n)16O reaction

Abstract We introduce the LUNA neutron detector array developed for the investigation of the 13C( α , n )16O reaction towards its astrophysical s -process Gamow peak in the low-background environment of the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). Eighteen 3He counters are arranged in two different configurations (in a vertical and a horizontal orientation) to optimize neutron detection efficiency, target handling and target cooling over the investigated energy range E α , lab = 300 − 400 keV (E n = 2 . 2 − 2 . 6 MeV in emitted neutron energy). As a result of the deep underground location, the passive shielding of the setup and active background suppression using pulse shape discrimination, we reached a total background rate of 1 . 23 ± 0 . 12 counts/hour. This resulted in an improvement of two orders of magnitude over the state of the art allowing a direct measurement of the 13C( α , n )16O cross-section down to E α , lab = 300 keV. The absolute neutron detection efficiency of the setup was determined using the 51V(p,n)51Cr reaction and an AmBe radioactive source, and completed with a Geant4 simulation. We determined a (34 ± 3)% and (38 ± 3)% detection efficiency for the vertical and horizontal configurations, respectively, for E n = 2 . 4 MeV neutrons.