Photoactivation experiment on 197Au and its implications for the dipole strength in heavy nuclei

Understand

The 197Au(gamma,n) reaction is used as an activation standard for photodisintegration studies on astrophysically relevant nuclei.

• At the bremsstrahlung facility of the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE (Electron Linear accelerator of high Brilliance and low Emittance) of Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, photoactivation measurements on 197Au have been performed with bremsstrahlung endpoint energies from 8.0 to 15.5 MeV.
• The measured activation yield is compared with previous experiments as well as with calculations using Hauser-Feshbach statistical models.
• It is shown that the experimental data are best described by a two-Lorentzian parametrization with taking the axial deformation of 197Au into account.