BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//CERN//INDICO//EN BEGIN:VEVENT SUMMARY:The STAR array for high sensitivity (n\,ɣ) cross-section measurem ents at the cern n_tof facility DTSTART;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20241119T161200Z DTEND;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20241119T161900Z DTSTAMP;VALUE=DATE-TIME:20260429T163311Z UID:indico-contribution-25473@indico.ific.uv.es DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Javier Balibrea Correa (Instituto de física corpusc ular IFIC)\nHistorically\, innovations in detection techniques and advance s in high-quality pulsed neutron beams have led to fascinating discoveries in stellar nucleosynthesis and subsequent refinements of theoretical mode ls of stellar structure and galactic chemical evolution.\n\nThe n_TOF coll aboration has been advancing innovative (n\,γ) experimental setups aimed at achieving high sensitivity for challenging isotopes with low neutron ca pture cross sections and/or highly radioactive\, while keeping possible sy stematics\, such as dead time and pile-up corrections\, under control [Bal 24]. In 2022\, a new state-of-the-art (n\,γ) experimental setup was commi ssioned at n_TOF EAR2 [Weiss15]\, consisting of an array of nine sTED unit s [Alc24] arranged in a cylindrical configuration close to the target\, tw o conventional large-volume C6D6 detectors\, and one LaCl₃(Ce) detector [Bal23a\,Ler23]. This setup enabled a significant improvement in terms of detection sensitivity and covered neutron-energy range.\n\nFurther improve ments could be attained with the use of a new scintillation material repla cing the liquid C6D6. Recent advancements in solution-growth methods for t rans-stilbene crystals have enabled the production of high-purity deuterat ed stilbene (stilbene-d12) crystals. With their favorable properties with respect to liquid C6D6\, such as higher density\, excellent n/γ discrimin ation\, larger light yield\, and reduced chemical risks\, deuterated stilb ene presents a promising alternative to liquid C6D6 scintillators. Their s olid-state form allows for thinner encapsulation\, eliminates the need for expansion volumes\, and removes the requirement for a borosilicate quartz window for optical coupling. Additionally\, they can be more easily coupl ed to photosensors\, thereby facilitating the use of Silicon photomultipli ers and further reducing the material budget per detector. These factors c ontribute to lowering the intrinsic neutron sensitivity of the detection d evice\, thereby enhancing systematic accuracy in nuclei or neutron energy regions where elastic scattering dominates. Such developments will enable superior detection sensitivities in radiative neutron-capture cross-sectio n measurements and they will open the possibility for (n\,n) and (n\,n’) measurements over broad neutron-energy ranges and will reduce neutron-ind uced backgrounds [Bal23b]. \nDriven by this motivation\, we present a conc eptual design study for a future Stilbene-d12 Detector Array\, referred to as STAR\, primarily aimed at (n\,γ) measurements of very small and/or ra dioactive samples at CERN n_TOF EAR2. Conceptualization\, MC design and In itial experimental results with a stilbene prototype will be presented at the time of the workshop.\n\n[Alc24] V. Alcayne et al.\, Radiat.Phys.Chem. 217 (2024) 111525 \n[Bal23a] J. Balibrea-Correa et al: EPJ Web Conf. 279 (2023) 06004\n[Bal23b] J. Balibrea-Correa et al\; CERN-INTC-2023-034 \ ; INTC-I-254. - 2023.\n[Bal24] J. Balibrea-Correa et al: Nucl.Instrum.Meth .A 1064 (2024) 169385 \n[Ler23] J. Lerendegui-Marco et al: https://arxiv.o rg/abs/2310.15714 \n[Weiss15] C. Weiss et al.\, NIM-A 799\, 90-98 (2 015)\n\nhttps://indico.ific.uv.es/event/7664/contributions/25473/ LOCATION: URL:https://indico.ific.uv.es/event/7664/contributions/25473/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR