Simple description of nuclear excitations in the continuum

The properties of nuclear excitations in the continum are treated in a simple microscopic approach. The dependence of the dynamical deformation parameters on the excitation energy (including the range of the giant resonances) is evaluated in a self-consistent manner. Sum rules for the above parameters are formulated. The differential and integral characteristics of the excitations of different multipolarities L are compared for smoothly (approximately rsup(L)) and sharply (approximately dU/dr) varying external fields. The contribution coming from the singe-particle continuum is taken exactly into account