Total photonuclear absorption cross section for Pb and for heavy nuclei in the Δ-resonance region

The partial sum σ⁽²⁾(E_γ) = Σ_i?2 σ(γ, in…), representing the inclusive cross section for all reaction channels in which at least two neutrons are emitted, has been measured with a quasimonochromatic photon beam obtained by the in-flight annihilation of monoenergetic positrons, and neutron multiplicity counting. These experimental results, taken with photon energies E_γ from 145 up to 440 MeV for Pb and with photon energies E_γ= 235 MeV and 330 MeV for Al, Cu, Zr, Sn, Ho, Ta and U, are subsequently used to determine the total photonuclear absorption cross section σ(tot: E_γ) and to study the dependence upon the mass number A of the normalized cross section σ(tot: E_γ)/A. These results are then compared with other information on the total photonuclear absorption cross section.