Photonuclear reactions: Achievements and perspectives

Probing the structure of an atomic nucleus by the electromagnetic interaction can be the cleanest and most direct way to obtain information on how the constituting nucleons are organizing themselves within the nucleus. Precise characterization of photonuclear reactions has contributed significantly to the establishment of modern nuclear physics. A brief overview on the Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence method, its applications and potential future opportunities will be given. In particular, we address recent studies of the dipole strength distributions of 76Se and 40Ar, of the determination of the Photon Strength Function of 128Te, and dare an outlook to even more sensitive measurements in the future.