Photoexcitation of $^{76}$Ge

TL;DR

This study investigates the dipole strength of $^{76}$Ge through photon-scattering experiments, identifying numerous energy levels and analyzing the photoabsorption cross section to enhance understanding of nuclear structure and reaction models.

Contribution

First detailed photon-scattering measurement of $^{76}$Ge up to 9.4 MeV, including quasicontinuum analysis and comparison with statistical reaction models.

Findings

Identified 210 energy levels up to 9.4 MeV.

Determined the photoabsorption cross section up to neutron-separation energy.

Compared photon strength function with other experimental results.

Abstract

The dipole strength of the nuclide $^{76}$Ge was studied in photon-scattering experiments using bremsstrahlung produced with electron beams of energies of 7.8 and 12.3 MeV at the $\gamma$ELBE facility. We identified 210 levels up to an excitation energy of 9.4 MeV and assigned spin $J$ = 1 to most of them. The quasicontinuum of unresolved transitions was included in the analysis of the spectra and the intensities of branching transitions were estimated on the basis of simulations of statistical $\gamma$-ray cascades. The photoabsorption cross section up to the neutron-separation energy was determined and is compared with predictions of the statistical reaction model. The derived photon strength function is compared with results of experiments using other reactions.