Origin of systematic discrepancies between Saclay and Livermore photoneutron data

Determine the origin of the characteristic systematic discrepancies between the Saclay and Livermore photoneutron measurements, including the unresolved disagreement in the measured cross sections for nuclei such as $^{165}$Ho.

Background

The paper compares historical photoneutron measurements performed at the Saclay and Livermore facilities with new laser-Compton-scattering data for $^{165}$Ho. The Saclay and Livermore datasets exhibit systematic differences in strength and in the extracted partial $(\gamma,1n)$ and $(\gamma,2n)$ cross sections. For $^{165}$Ho, the paper suggests that the Saclay discrepancy may be related to an incorrect neutron-multiplicity assignment, while the Livermore results differ from the new data by an approximately 10% normalization factor. The broader facility-dependent origin of these discrepancies is not resolved.