The application of the unfolding technique for determination of photo-nuclear reaction cross-section with an example on the $$^{115}$$ 115 In( $$\gamma $$ γ , $$\gamma ^{\prime }$$ γ ′ ) $$^{115m}$$ 115 m In reaction

The cross-section function for the $$^{115}$$ In( $$\gamma $$ , $$\gamma ^{\prime }$$ ) $$^{115m}$$ In reaction was determined in the energy range up to E $$_\gamma $$ = 9.6 MeV using the bremsstrahlung facility at the MT25 Microtron, JINR, Dubna. Natural indium disks were irradiated with bremsstrahlung, each disk with a beam of different endpoint energy. To the measured saturation activity built up in the wide-energy photon beam we applied the unfolding technique, developed recently at the JRC-Geel with the primary purpose of being used in neutron activation. The results were compared with TALYS 1.9 calculations and existing experimental data. Our results suggest that the application of existing unfolding technique allow determining unknown excitation functions of photon-induced reactions.