The ${}^{155}$Gd($n$,$\gamma$) reaction was measured with the DANCE $\gamma$-ray calorimeter at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Spins were determined for the $s$-wave resonances by analysis of the $\gamma$-ray multiplicity distributions. The analysis was performed with a pattern recognition method. The resulting level densities for the $J=1$ and 2 resonances are in qualitative agreement with the expected 2$J$ $+$ 1 dependence. The average $s$-wave resonance spacing was determined to be $D_0=1.62$ $\pm$ 0.15 eV. Analysis of the neutron resonances with the code sammy yielded the $s$-wave strength function $S_0=1.99\pm 0.28\times {10}^{-4}$ and the average total radiative width ${\Gamma }_{\gamma }$ $=$ 120 $\pm$ 3 meV.

• Received 30 August 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.85.024622