Deformed rotational cascades in 152Dy: Further evidence for shape coexistence at high spin

Two new rotational bands have been observed in the Dy-152 nucleus following experiments performed using the EUROGAM gamma-ray spectrometer. Several transitions have been observed that link these new bands into the known single-particle states. Using the Doppler shift attenuation method, the quadrupole moment of the previously-known rotational sequence has been measured. The value of Q(band) = 3.85+/-0.06 e b confirms the deformed nature of this cascade. The structures of the three bands are discussed in terms of the occupation of both paired and unpaired orbitals, and are found to be in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The observation of two new bands further extends the concept of shape coexistence in the Dy-152 nucleus.