In a detailed investigation of giant dipole resonance (GDR) gamma-ray yield
from the O-16+Pb-208 system, the absolute gamma-ray/fission multiplicities
are extracted and reported over a wide range of excitation energy and angu
lar momentum. The enhanced yield of GDR decay gamma rays from the compound
system has been analyzed within the framework of a modified statistical mod
el containing the nuclear viscosity as a foe parameter. The nuclear viscosi
ty parameter gamma has been studied over a much wider range of excitation e
nergy and angular momentum than in earlier works. The measured gamma-ray mu
ltiplicities as well as known neutron multiplicities and evaporation residu
e cross sections indicate a strongly damped fission motion. The systematics
of the extracted dissipation coefficient is fitted equally well with eithe
r temperature or a deformation-dependent nuclear viscosity.