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The direct and statistical neutron decay of the isoscalar giant dipole resonance and a continuum region at higher excitation energy has been studied in 90Zr, 116Sn and 208Pb using the (α, α'n) reaction at a bombarding energy of 200 MeV. The spectra of fast decay neutrons populating valence neutron-hole states were analyzed, and estimates for the branching ratios were determined to compare to recent theoretical predictions. The observation of the direct nucleon decay channels helped to separate giant resonance strengths and suppress the underlying background and continuum, which lead to an indication for the existence of the first overtone mode of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In atomic nuclei, a concentration of electric dipole strength around the particle threshold, commonly denoted as pygmy dipole resonance, may have a significant impact on nuclear structure properties and astrophysical scenarios. A clear identification of these states and the structure of this resonance is still under discussion. Purpose: We present an experimental and theoretical study of the isospin character of the pygmy dipole resonance and investigation of a splitting of the electric dipole strength previously observed in experiments on N -- 82 nuclei. Method: The pygmy dipole resonance has been studied in the semi-magic Z = 50 nucleus 124Sn by means of the (α, α′;γ) coincidence method at Ea = 136 MeV using the Big-Bite Spectrometer at the Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut in Groningen, The Netherlands. Results: A splitting of the low-energy part of the electric dipole strength was identified in 124Sn by comparing the differential cross sections measured in (α, α′γ) to results stemming from (γ, γ′) photon-scattering experiments. While an energetically lower-lying group of states is observed in both kinds of experiments, a higher-lying group of states is only excited in the (γ, γ′) reaction. In addition, theoretical calculations using the self-consistent relativistic quasiparticle time-blocking approximation and the quasiparticle-phonon model have been performed. Both calculations show a qualitative agreement with the experimental data and predict a low-lying isoscalar component that is dominated by neutron-skin oscillations as expected for the pygmy dipole resonance. Furthermore, the states at higher energies show a pronounced isovector component and a different radial dependence of the corresponding transition densities as expected for the tail of the giant dipole resonance. Conclusions: An experimental signature of the neutron-skin oscillation of the pygmy dipole resonance has been corroborated. The combination of the presented reactions might make it possible to identify states of this resonance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]