Linking transitions in the Aap80 region of superdeformation

In a recent study of superdeformed (SD) bands in the A≈80 region, three discrete linking transitions to states of normal deformation (ND) were identified in 84Zr. The properties of the abrupt decay out of the SD well in 84Zr are compared with those in other SD mass regions. Several theoretical calculations suggest that there is extensive mixing of configurations in the SD and ND minima and very little potential barrier between the two wells, leading to a rapid, highly fragmented decay-out process.