Neutron spectroscopic studies with the CATRiNA array

Nuclear reactions involving neutrons play a crucial role in nuclear astrophysics research. Experimental studies of neutron-rich and neutron-deficient nuclei are becoming available with the advent of advanced radioactive beam facilities. New detection systems are in need to study nuclear reactions with these exotic nuclei. Neutron detection arrays should be able to perform neutron spectroscopy and use neutrons to 'tag' other reaction by-products. At Florida State University we have developed the Compound Array for Transfer Reactions in Nuclear Astrophysics (CATRiNA), an array of 16 deuterated-benzene (C₆D₆) scintillators as neutron detectors with fast-response time and excellent pulse-shape-discrimination capabilities. Moreover, C₆D₆ detectors provide a structured pulse-height spectrum, which has shown potential for neutron spectroscopy in addition to the traditional time-of-flight technique. CATRiNA was designed to measure (d,n) and (³He,n) reactions to perform spectroscopic studies of nuclei relevant for nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics. In this work, we will discuss the characterization of the CATRiNA detectors and preliminary results on neutron spectroscopic studies will be presented.