Abstract
Enhanced γ -decay on the tail of the giant electric dipole resonance, such as the scissors or
pygmy resonances, can have significant impact on (n,γ ) reaction rates. These rates are important input for
modeling processes that take place in astrophysical environments and nuclear reactors. Recent results from
the University of Oslo indicate the existence of a significant enhancement in the photon strength function for
nuclei in the actinide region due to the scissors resonance. Further, the M1 strength distribution of the scissors
resonances in rare earth nuclei has been studied extensively over the years. To investigate the evolution
and persistence of the scissor resonance in other mass regions, an experiment was performed utilizing the
NaI(Tl) γ -ray detector array (CACTUS) and silicon particle telescopes (SiRi) at the University of Oslo
Cyclotron laboratory. Particle-γ coincidences from the 181Ta(d,p)182Ta and 181Ta(d,d’)181Ta reactions were
used to measure the nuclear level density and photon strength function of the well-deformed 181Ta and 182Ta
systems, to investigate the existence of resonances below the neutron separation energy.