A phenomenological macroscopic model of the giant dipole resonance (GDR) damping width of cold and hot nuclei with ground-state spherical and near-spherical shapes is developed. The model is based on a generalized Fermi liquid model which takes into account the nuclear surface dynamics. The temperature dependence of the GDR damping width is accounted for in terms of surface and volume components. Parameter-free expressions for the damping width and the effective deformation are obtained. The model is validated with GDR measurements of the following nuclides: ${}^{39,40}\mathrm{K},$ ${}^{42}\mathrm{Ca},$ ${}^{45}\mathrm{Sc},$ ${}^{59,63}\mathrm{Cu},$ ${}^{109-120}\mathrm{Sn},$ ${}^{147}\mathrm{Eu},$ ${}^{194}\mathrm{Hg},$ and ${}^{208}\mathrm{Pb},$ and is compared with the predictions of other models.

• Received 20 December 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.65.044620