Photonuclear physics at Saclay

The introduction presents a short historical review of the photonuclear research field in general. One then gives a somewhat more detailed description of the annihilation in flight facility of monochromatic positrons, at the AL 60 electron linac in Saclay, which creates a monochromatic photon beam with continuously variable energy. A new, but similar, facility at the ALS 600 electron linac, also in Saclay, is also discussed together with some of the characteristics of the associated photoneutron and photoproton detecting systems. Photonuclear data obtained at both these facilities are then presented. Photoneutron experimental results concerning the giant dipole resonance, obtained at the AL 60, are then interpreted in terms of giant dipole resonance position, width and integrated cross section values. Some preliminary results obtained at the ALS 600, but covering an energy region above the giant dipole resonance (30 MeV < Esub(γ) < 120 MeV) are also discussed. Finally developments of some new monochromatic photon probes are briefly mentioned