  Photo-induced reaction cross section data are of importance for a variety of
current or emerging applications, such as radiation shielding design and
radiation transport analyses, calculations of absorbed dose in the human body
during radiotherapy, physics and technology of fission reactors (influence of
photo-reactions on neutron balance) and fusion reactors (plasma diagnostics and
shielding), activation analyses, safeguards and inspection technologies,
nuclear waste transmutation, medical isotope production and astrophysical
applications.
  Since the release of the IAEA Photonuclear Data Library in 1999 however, new
experimental data as well as new methods to assess the reliability of
experimental cross sections have become available. Theoretical models and input
parameters used to evaluate photo-induced reactions have improved significantly
over the years. In addition, new measurements of partial photoneutron cross
sections using mono-energetic photon beams and advanced neutron detection
systems have been performed allowing for the validation of the evaluations and
assessments of the experimental data. Furthermore, technological advances have
led to the construction of new and more powerful gamma-beam facilities,
therefore new data needs are emerging.
  We report our coordinated efforts to address these data needs and present the
results of the new evaluations of more than 200 nuclides included in the new
updated IAEA Photonuclear Data Library, where the photon energy goes up to 200
MeV. We discuss the new assessment method and make recommendations to the user
community in cases where the experimental data are discrepant and the
assessments disagree. In addition, in the absence of experimental data, we
present model predictions for photo-induced reaction cross section on nuclides
of potential interest to medical radioisotope production.
