Spectra of $\gamma$ rays following the ${}^{97}\mathrm{Mo}(n,\gamma )$ reaction were measured as a function of incident neutron energy with the DANCE (Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments) array of $160 {\mathrm{BaF}}_2$ scintillation detectors at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center using an enriched ${}^{97}\mathrm{Mo}$ target. These spectra were used for the assignment of spins of the ${}^{97}\mathrm{Mo}$ resonances up to neutron energy $E_n=1.7$ keV, as well as in the study of photon strength functions (PSFs) in ${}^{98}\mathrm{Mo}$. Analysis of the spectra with the nuclear statistical model showed that they can be well reproduced with the same PSF models which well described the $\gamma$ decay following slow neutron capture in ${}^{95}\mathrm{Mo}$. On the other hand, the spectra are inconsistent with PSFs describing some other experimental data in ${}^{98}\mathrm{Mo}$.

• Received 14 May 2015
• Revised 2 July 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.92.014324