Two-phonon giant resonances in 136 Xe, 208 Pb, and 238 U

The excitation of the double-phonon giant dipole resonance was observed in heavy projectile nuclei impinging on targets of high nuclear charge with energies of 500‐700 MeV/nucleon. New experimental data are presented for 136 Xe and 238 U together with further analysis of earlier data on 208 Pb. Differential cross sections ds/dE* and ds/du for electromagnetic excitations were deduced. Depending on the isotope, cross sections appear to be enhanced in comparison to those expected from a purely harmonic nuclear dipole response. The cumulative effect of excitations of two-phonon states composed of one dipole and one quadrupole phonon, of predicted anharmonicities in the double-phonon dipole response, and of damping of the dipole resonance during the collision may account for the discrepancy. In addition, decay properties of two-phonon resonances were studied and compared to that of a statistical decay.