Nuclear level density and γ-ray strength functions of 121,122Sn below the neutron separation energy are extracted with the Oslo method using the (3He,3He′γ) and (3He,αγ) reactions. The level densities of 121,122Sn display step-like structures, interpreted as signatures of neutron pair breaking. An enhancement in both strength functions, compared to standard models for radiative strength, is observed in our measurements for Eγ≳5.2 MeV. This enhancement is compatible with pygmy resonances centered at ≈8.4(1) and ≈8.6(2) MeV, respectively, and with integrated strengths corresponding to ≈1.8−5+1 of the classical Thomas-Reiche-Kuhn sum rule. Similar resonances were also seen in 116−119Sn. Experimental neutron-capture cross reactions are well reproduced by our pygmy resonance predictions, while standard strength models are less successful. The evolution as a function of neutron number of the pygmy resonance in 116−122Sn is described as a clear increase of centroid energy from 8.0(1) to 8.6(2) MeV, but with no observable difference in integrated strengths.
@article{arxiv.1105.3599,
title = {Evolution of the pygmy dipole resonance in Sn isotopes},
author = {H. K. Toft and A. C. Larsen and A. Bürger and M. Guttormsen and A. Görgen and H. T. Nyhus and T. Renstrøm and S. Siem and G. M. Tveten and A. Voinov},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1105.3599},
year = {2015}
}