Simulating Detector Efficiency in Hyperion and STARLiTeR

The study of $\gamma $-ray emission from excited nuclei plays a crucial role in nuclear physics by offering insight into the structure of nuclei and the formation of heavy elements in stars. To better understand the efficiency of $\gamma $-ray detectors, computer simulations can be built in Geant4 to model the interaction of $\gamma $-rays with the detector materials. Simulations like these allow researchers to quickly and easily determine the effects that changes in the detector setup have on the $\gamma $-ray spectrum recorded in experiments. This work aims to create a simulation to better understand and determine the efficiency of the $\gamma $-ray detectors in the Hyperion and STARLiTeR systems, which are detector arrays currently housed at Texas A{\&}M University used in the study of astrophysical nuclear processes. The simulation is constructed to most accurately reproduce data taken in the STARLiTeR system for radioactive $^{\mathrm{137}}$Cs and $^{\mathrm{60}}$Co calibration sources and is used to calculate an efficiency function for the detector as a function of $\gamma $-ray energy.