Determining Physical Continuum Background Using the Calculated Cross-Section of the Giant Monopole Resonance

The choice of continuum is a limiting factor in the cross-section measurement of giant resonances. The continuum is difficult to calculate due to a number of contributing factors; such as beam impurities, nuclear interactions, and background radiation. Assuming ideal multipole strength distributions and using experimentally determined widths and centroids, a calculation of the expected cross-section is made and then compared with the experimental cross-section measured from alpha scattering on \textsuperscript{90}Zr. This comparison is used to refine our assumptions of the continuum.