Dipole strength inY89up to the neutron-separation energy

Abstract

Photoexcitation of the N=50 nucleus {sup 89}Y has been performed at the bremsstrahlung facility at the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE at electron energies of E{sub e}{sup kin}=9.5 and 13.2 MeV. About 250 levels up to the neutron-separation energy were identified. Statistical methods were applied to estimate intensities of inelastic transitions and to correct the intensities of the ground-state transitions for their branching ratios. The photoabsorption cross section derived in this way up to the neutron-separation energy is combined with the photoabsorption cross section obtained from ({gamma}, n) data and provides information about the extension of the giant dipole resonance toward energies below the neutron-separation energy. An enhancement of E1 strength has been found in the range from about 6 to 11 MeV. The experimental photoabsorption cross sections of {sup 89}Y and of the neighboring N=50 isotones {sup 88}Sr and {sup 90}Zr are compared with predictions of the quasiparticle-random-phase approximation.