Absolute measurement of the total photoabsorption cross section for carbon in the nucleon resonance region

Abstract We present the results of an absolute measurement of the total nuclear photoabsorption cross section for carbon in the higher nucleon resonance region. In the Δ region our results agree with existing data, while at higher energies they show a damping in the excitation of the higher nucleon resonances, clearly seen in the photon absorption on proton and deutron.