Two-step γ cascades following thermal neutron capture in 95Mo

A strong enhancement of the photon strength function at low gamma-ray energies was recently reported for several Mo isotopes. To study this enhancement further we have measured the spectra of two-step gamma cascades following thermal neutron capture in Mo-95. These spectra were compared with simulations of the gamma decay of (MO)-M-96 performed with the aid of the DICEBOX algorithm. Simulations with a large number of model combinations of photon strength functions for E1, M1, and E2 radiation are not consistent with the strong enhancement observed in the Mo-96(He-3,He-3'gamma)Mo-96 and Mo-97(He-3, alpha gamma)Mo-96 reactions. Predictions based on a combination of E1, M1, and E2 photon strength functions with no enhancement of the photon strength functions at low gamma-ray energies are in good agreement with the two-step gamma cascade data.