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

The 197Au(gamma, n) reaction is used as an activation standard for the photodisintegration studies on astrophysically relevant nuclei. At the bremsstrahlung facility of the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE of FZ 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 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.