Search for octupole correlations in ${}^{147}$Nd

Abstract

Properties of excited states in ${}^{147}$Nd have been studied with multispectra and ${\hat{I}}^3{\hat{I}}^3$ coincidence measurements. Twenty-four new ${\hat{I}}^3$-lines and three new levels have been introduced into the level scheme of ${}^{147}$Nd. Lifetimes of eight excited levels in ${}^{147}$Nd, populated in the ${\hat{I}}^2$ decay of ${}^{147}$Pr, have been measured using the advanced time-delayed ${\hat{I}}^2{\hat{I}}^3{\hat{I}}^3$(t) method. Reduced transition probabilities have been determined for 30 ${\hat{I}}^3$-transitions in ${}^{147}$Nd. Potential energy surfaces on the (${\hat{I}}_2^2$,${\hat{I}}_3^2$) plane calculated for ${}^{147}$Nd using the Strutinsky method predict two single quasiparticle configurations with nonzero octupole deformation, with K=1/2 and K=5/2. We do not observe parity doublet bands with K=5/2. For pair of opposite parity bands that could form the K=1/2 parity doublet we were able only to determine lower limit of the dipole moment, $|D_0|\ge$0.02 e$\cdot fm$.

Submitted to PRC