Double-Dipole Excitations in 40Ca

The double-dipole strength distribution in $^{40}$Ca is calculated microscopically within a model space of 1p1h - and 2p2h excitations. Anharmonic effects in the centroid energies of the $0^+$- and $2^+$ components are found to be small, in agreement with experimental observation. Firm conclusions about the spreading width cannot be drawn, as yet, due to computational limitations in the number of 2p2h states.