Evidence for rigid triaxial deformation at low energy in 76Ge

Excited states of 76Ge have been populated in above-barrier Coulomb excitation and inelastic scattering of a 530-MeV 76Ge beam on a 238U target and studied using in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy with the Gammasphere array. The γ band was extended considerably and one new band was identified. Comparisons of the γ band with collective- and shell-model calculations suggest that 76Ge may be a rare example of a nucleus exhibiting rigid triaxial deformation in the low-lying states.