Absolute photoneutron cross sections for Zr, I, Pr, Au, and Pb

Abstract

The photoneutron cross sections for $^{\mathrm{nat}}\mathrm{Zr}$, $^{127}\mathrm{I}$, $^{141}\mathrm{Pr}$, $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$, and $^{\mathrm{nat}}\mathrm{Pb}$ have been measured near the peak of the giant dipole resonance, with monoenergetic photons, in such a way that the absolute cross sections for these nuclei were intercalibrated, using $^{141}\mathrm{Pr}$ as a benchmark. The measured peak total photoneutron cross sections are, within an uncertainty of 2--3 %, 174, 252, 340, 502, and 602 mb for $^{\mathrm{nat}}\mathrm{Zr}$, $^{127}\mathrm{I}$, $^{141}\mathrm{Pr}$, $^{197}\mathrm{Au}$, and $^{\mathrm{nat}}\mathrm{Pb}$, respectively. These results resolve outstanding discrepancies among previous measurements.