Triaxiality at high spins in Nd nuclei
Abstract
The level structure of Nd-140(80) has been established up to spin 48 by in-beam gamma-ray spectroscopy using the Zr-96(Ca-48, 4n) reaction. High-fold gamma-ray coincidences were measured with the EUROBALL spectrometer. Twelve new rotational bands have been discovered at high spins, showing the change from a spherical single-particle behaviour at low spins to a deformed regime with stable triaxiality at high spins. Possible configurations are assigned to the observed bands on the basis of configuration-dependent cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations.