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

TL;DR

This study measures the photodisintegration of gold-197 using bremsstrahlung at ELBE, providing insights into dipole strength in heavy nuclei and validating a two-Lorentzian model considering nuclear deformation.

Contribution

It presents new experimental data on 197Au photodisintegration with bremsstrahlung, supporting a two-Lorentzian model that accounts for nuclear deformation effects.

Findings

Experimental data align with a two-Lorentzian model.

Results are consistent with previous photon scattering and neutron detection data.

Provides improved understanding of dipole strength in heavy nuclei.

Abstract

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. The experimental 197Au(gamma,n) reaction yield measured at ELBE via the photoactivation method is found to be consistent with previous experimental data using photon scattering or neutron detection methods.