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The wealth of data collected in the study of superdeformation in {sup 151}Dy allowed for new information to be obtained on the normally deformed structures in this nucleus. At high spin several new yrast states have been identified for the first time. They were associated with single-particle excitations. Surprisingly, a sequence was identified with energy spacings characteristic of a rotational band of normal ({beta}2 {approximately} 0.2) deformation. The bandhead spin appears to be 15/2{sup -} and the levels extend up to a spin of 87/2{sup -}. A clear backbend is present at intermediate spins. While a similar band based on a bandhead of 6{sup +} is known in {sup 152}Dy, calculations suggest that this collective prolate band should not be seen in {sup 151}Dy. In the experiment described earlier in this report that is aimed at determining the deformations associated with the SD bands in this nucleus and {sup 152}Dy, the deformation associated with this band will be determined. This will provide further insight into the origin of this band.

Following the first report of superdeformed (SD) bands with identical transition energies in the pairs ({sup 151}Tb*,{sup 152}Dy), ({sup 150}Gd*, {sup 151}Tb) and ({sup 153}Dy*, {sup 152}Dy) (where * denotes an excited SD band), it was proposed by Nazarewicz et al. that the observations could be understood in a strong-coupling approach if pseudo SU(3) symmetry were invoked. In this model there are three limiting values of the decoupling parameter; i.e. a = 0, {plus_minus}1. In the first two cases mentioned above the pairs of bands have nearly identical transition energies and are interpreted as proton excitations involving the [200]1/2 pseudospin orbital coupled to the {sup 152}Dy core, for which the value of the decoupling parameter is calculated to be a =+1.

A measurement on lifetimes of high-spin states in the yrast and near-yrast rotational bands in {sup 162}Yb was carried out at ATLAS in order to determine the evolution of collectivity as a function of angular momentum using the {sup 126}Te({sup 40}Ar,4n){sup 162}Yb reaction at 170 MeV. Previous lifetime measurements in the {sup 164,166,168}Yb isotopes showed a dramatic decrease in the transition quadrupole moment Q{sub t} with increasing spin. It was suggested that this decrease in Q{sub t} is brought about by the rotationally-induced deoccupation of high-j configurations, mainly i{sub 13/2} neutrons. If this interpretation is correct, the heavier isotopes should have a larger decrease in Q{sub t} than the lighter mass nuclides due to the position of the Fermi surface in the i{sub 13/2} subshell. Indeed, {sup 160}Yb does not show a clear decrease in Q{sub t} at high spin. No high spin lifetime information exists for {sup 162}Yb, thus this experiment fills the gap of measured Q{sub t}`s in the light Yb series. The data is currently being analyzed.

Very few experimental observables are ordinarily accessible for superdeformed (SD) states in the A {approximately} 150 and A {approximately} 190 regions. The gamma-decay out of the superdeformed bands usually proceeds directly to the normally deformed states, through highly fragmented pathways, making it difficult to determine the spins, parities and excitation energies of the SD states. The in-band E2 transitions are so collective (2 x 10{sup 3} single-particle units in the A {approximately} 190 region) that it is typically impossible to detect any of the competing M1 and E1 transitions between states in the SD well.

Gammasphere experiments in 1993-94 brought to light the existence of an excited superdeformed (SD) band in {sup 190}Hg with the unusual property of decaying entirely to the lowest (yrast) SD band over 3-4 transitions, rather than to the normally deformed states as is usually the case in the A {approximately} 150 and A {approximately} 190 regions of superdeformation. Although M1 transitions between signature-partner SD bands were previously observed in {sup 193}Hg, no such mechanism was available to explain the situation in the even-even nucleus {sup 190}Hg, whose yrast SD band has no signature partner. The best explanation appears to lie in long-standing theoretical predictions that the SD minimum in the potential energy surface would be quite soft with respect to octupole vibrations. This would lead to enhanced E1 transitions connecting the one-phonon and zero-phonon states. The data and this interpretation were published. A shortcoming of the Gammasphere experiments was that they did not allow the definitive measurement of the energies of the gamma-ray transitions connecting the two bands, due to the very weak population of the excited band ({approximately}0.05% of the {sup 190}Hg channel) and also partly, we believed, to the angular distributions of the transitions, which were peaked nearmore » 90 degrees, where Gammasphere had few detectors.« less

The interaction between coexisting shapes in nuclei near closed shells was of great interest in the past decade. Excited 0{sup +} states at low energy can often be identified as the bandheads of structures with differing shapes built on those states, These structures were identified in {sup 190-198}Pb via beta decay and alpha decay {open_quotes}fine structure{close_quotes} studies. Coexistence of different shapes in Pb nuclei was predicted by Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations, in which both the oblate and prolate minima were predicted to have excitation energies near 1 MeV. It was our intention to continue the systematic study of the Pb nuclides by searching for excited O{sup +} states in {sup 188}Pb by observing the fine structure in the alpha decay of {sup 192}Po.

The island of superdeformation in the vicinity of the doubly magic {sup 152}Dy yrast superdeformed (SD) band is thought to be well understood in the framework of cranked mean field calculations. In particular, the calculations suggested that in {sup 154}Dy there should be no yrast or near yrast SD minimum in the 40-60 h spin range, where SD bands in this mass region are thought to be {sup 153}Dy nucleus, it is populated. However, with the presence of five SD bands in the neighboring necessary to ascertain if the addition of one single neutron diminishes the importance of shell effects to the extent that superdeformation can no longer be sustained. In an experiment utilizing the increased resolving power of the early implementation phase of Gammasphere, the reaction {sup 122}Sn({sup 36}S,4n) at 165 MeV was employed to populate high spin states in {sup 154}Dy. In a four-day run with 36 detectors, over one billion triple and higher fold coincidence events were recorded. One new SD band was identified and was assigned to {sup 154}Dy. From comparisons with the Im{sup (2)} moments of inertia of the SD bands in {sup 152}Dy and {sup 153}Dy, a configuration based on (514)9/2{sup 2} neutrons coupledmore » to the {sup 152}Dy SD core was proposed. One unexpected and as yet unexplained feature of this new SD band is that the transition energies are almost identical to those of an excited SD band in {sup 153}Dy. It is also worth noting that the feeding of the yrast states is similar to that achieved by the deexcitation from the ensemble of all entry states in the reaction. This observation emphasizes the statistical nature of the decay-out process. A paper reporting these results was accepted for publication.« less

The study of yrast and near-yrast structures of odd-odd nuclei to high spins is somewhat limited due to the complexity of the spectra resulting from the many proton-neutron couplings near the Fermi surface. In superdeformed nuclei, the number of available protons and neutrons near the Fermi surface is somewhat limited due to the presence of large-shell gaps which stabilize the nuclear shape. A relatively small number of available neutron and proton configurations can lead to fragmentation of the SD intensity into a number of different bands. Two good examples of this phenomenon were found in {sup 192}Tl and {sup 194}Tl where the presence of six superdeformed bands were reported in both nuclei. We reexamined {sup 192}Tl at Gammasphere using the {sup 160}Gd({sup 37}Cl,5n) reaction at 178 MeV to populate states in the superdeformed well of this nucleus. While our previous study on {sup 192}Tl at ATLAS was very successful, a number of questions remained which formed the basis of our objectives in this experiment: obtain better {gamma}-ray energies for the known transitions and identify higher spin members in each band; determine how the bands feed the known yrast states in {sup 192}Tl as well as determine the complete spectrum inmore » coincidence with the SD bands; look for M1 transitions connecting proposed signature partners; and attempt to identify other excitations in the superdeformed well. Analysis is underway and four of the six bands were confirmed. The reasons that two of the reported bands were not observed in this latest work is still under investigation. As of this time, no other superdeformed bands were identified in the data. Two of the confirmed SD bands have a constant moment of inertia and show indications of cross-talk between each other. This observation is not unexpected since the calculated M1 rates for the proposed configuration of the band, {pi}{sub 13/2} x {upsilon}j{sub 15/2}, indicate that M1 transitions linking the two SD bands should be observed.« less

There are now over 40 superdeformed (SD) bands known in the A {approximately} 150 region and in most cases the properties of these bands are understood in terms of single-particle excitations in the absence of pairing. By continuing the search for new SD bands we hope to gain insight into (1) the ordering of the proton and neutron orbitals near the Fermi surface in the SD well, (2) the effects that the alignment of those orbitals has on the moments of inertia, and (3) the collective excitations in the SD well. For {sup 150}Tb, which is one proton and one neutron away from the SD doubly-magic nucleus {sup 152}Dy, it should be possible to study SD bands based on both proton and neutron hole excitations. By adding one proton to the {sup 152}Dy nucleus (i.e. {sup 153}Ho) proton excitations above the Z = 66 shell gap can be studied. These excitations are important as calculations suggested that the proton intruder orbital N = 7 might become occupied. Interactions between this orbital and a N = 5 level may result in softness towards octupole vibrations. High spin states in {sup 150}Th and {sup 153}Ho were populated using the {sup 124}Sn({sup 31}P,5n)more » and {sup 120}Sn({sup 37}Cl,4n) reactions, respectively. In both cases the early implementation phase of Gammasphere was used to detect the decay gamma rays and over 1 x 10{sup 9} triple and higher fold coincidence events were recorded. In {sup 150}Tb, the data analysis is complete and two new SD bands were identified. The fact that Im{sup (2)} moments of inertia are sensitive to the specific high-N intruder content of the SD bands was used to suggest configurations for the two new bands. A paper reporting these results is being prepared. For {sup 153}Ho, data analysis is still in its early stages.« less

The influence of the reaction mechanism and of the nuclear structure at high angular momentum on the γ-ray deexcitation process is studied for Dy nuclei produced in a (40–80 MeV) and 12 C (80–110 MeV) induced reactions on 154, 155, 158, 160 Gd and 146, 150 Nd targets, respectively. The quasi-continuum (q.c.) γ-ray spectra for selected exit channels are decomposed into collective and statistical parts for which the γ-ray energies, the multiplicities and partly the multi-polarities are determined. Large differences in the constitution of the q.c. γ-ray cascades and in the population strengths of high-spin yrast states in 152 Dy and 156 Dy are attributed to nuclear structure effects at high angular momentum. This constitution and the centroids of the γ-ray entry regions in the energy versus angular-momentum plane are also evaluated as functions of beam energy and projectile. The γ-ray multiplicities and both coordinates of the entry region centroids increase initially with bombarding energy and then level off or even decrease at the highest energies. The observed increase is reproduced by a statistical-decay model, but at the higher bombarding energies strong deviations occur which are discussed in view of the reaction mechanisms, including incomplete fusion and non-equilibrium neutron emission, particularly absorptive breakup.