Nuclear level densities and γ-ray strength functions of 180,181Ta and neutron capture cross sections

The γ-ray strength functions and nuclear level densities in the quasi-continuum of 180,181Ta are extracted from particle-γ coincidence events with the Oslo Method, below the Sn. The data were used as input in the TALYS reaction code for calculations of the astrophysical Maxwellian-averaged (n,γ) cross-sections to investigate nucleosynthesis of nature's rarest stable isotope 180Ta.