Eur. Phys. J. A (2008) 35: 167-170
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2007-10534-y

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

Lifetime measurement of the six-quasiparticle isomer in ¹⁴⁰Nd and evidence for an isomer above the 19/2⁺ state in ¹³⁹Nd

Institut de Physique Nucléaire, IN2P3-CNRS and Université Paris-Sud XI, F-91406, Orsay Cedex, France

^* e-mail: ferraton@ipno.in2p3.fr

Received: 21 November 2007
Accepted: 11 February 2008
Published online: 11 March 2008

Abstract

The lifetime of the recently discovered six-quasiparticle (6-qp) isomer in ¹⁴⁰Nd has been measured using the ¹²⁶Te(¹⁸O, 4n) reaction and the pulsed-beam technique at the Institut de Physique Nucléaire (IPN) Orsay. The deduced lifetime of the 6-qp isomer in ¹⁴⁰Nd of 1.23(7)μs supports the 20⁺ spin-parity assignment to the isomeric state which is based on a spherical configuration that coexists with the triaxial bands observed in this spin range. Evidence for delayed components for the transitions below the 19/2⁺ state in ¹³⁹Nd was observed, with an apparent half-life of 272(4)ns.