Nuclear Astrophysics with Gamma Beams

The advent of next-generation facilities capable of delivering high-intensity, high-resolution gamma-ray beams and ultra-short, high-repetition laser pulses is opening new avenues in nuclear astrophysics. Narrow, tunable gamma-ray beams (ranging from a few keV to tens of MeV) offer unprecedented opportunities to measure extremely small cross sections (on the order of μb or less) relevant to key astrophysical nuclear reactions. These precise measurements are crucial for determining astrophysical S-factors, which underpin our understanding of stellar evolution.

In recent years, the ASFIN group, together with international collaborators, has developed advanced detector arrays optimized for the measurement of excitation functions and angular distributions. These systems, including LHASA and ELISSA, are ideally suited for nuclear astrophysics studies induced by gamma-ray beams. In this contribution, I will present the recent developments and discuss their application to ongoing and future experimental campaigns.