A γ calorimeter for the monitoring of the ELI-NP beam

The ELI-NP facility will provide a monochromatic, high brilliance γ beam with tunable energy up to 19.5 MeV. The time structure of the beam consists of 32 pulses of 105 photons separated by 16 ns and delivered at repetition rate of 100 Hz. In order to match such unprecedented beam specifications and to measure its energy spectrum, intensity and space profile, a characterization system has been developed. This paper will focus on the working principle, the expected performances and the results of tests carried out on a low-Z sampling calorimeter, made of silicon detectors and polyethylene absorbers, which will measure the average beam energy and its intensity. The results of tests performed with an infrared pulsed laser have shown the capability of the detector to cope with the time structure of ELI-NP beam. Further tests carried out at the LABEC facility in Firenze have shown the excellent linearity of the silicon detectors in the energy range relevant to ELI-NP beam.