Photon scattering on the $0\nu2\beta$-decay daughter nucleus candidate $^{76}$Se

The Pygmy dipole resonance (PDR) was extensively studied in spherical nuclei, especially along the N=82 shell closure. The PDR is thought to be a dipole vibration of an inert proton-neutron core against a neutron skin. The dependence of the PDR on deformation has so far not been tested in nuclei with small N/Z ratios. The dipole strength distribution up to 9 MeV may serve as a test for QRPA calculations relevant to $0\nu2\beta$-decay. Photon scattering experiments on $^{76}$Se have been performed using incident photons from the S-DALINAC facility at the TU-Darmstadt. The isotopically enriched sample was irradiated at different photon endpoint energies. Preliminary results will be presented.