Time and energy calibration of large-volume segmented sodium-iodide detectors

Nuclear physics research is focused upon determining the structure of the atomic nucleus and nuclei, and understanding the interactions both within it and between them. To accomplish this, various probes of the nucleus are used - two types are 'electromagnetic' and 'hadronic'. An example of an electromagnetic probe is the photon, which has the advantage of interacting with the nucleus via the very well-understood electromagnetic force. At MAX-lab, tagged photons are produced using an electron beam. In order to detect these photons, different detectors may be used: sodium iodide and Pb-glass are two examples. In order to produce meaningful results, such detectors must first be calibrated by applying physically well-motivated and understood corrections. The detectors have to be calibrated both relatively and absolutely in terms of their timing and the amount of deposited energy they register. A detailed overview of such calibrations is presented in this thesis, which is based upon data acquired at MAX-lab during the June and September 2011 and April 2012 run periods.