New collective structures in the 163Yb nucleus

M. A. Sithole; J. F. Sharpey Schafer; S. N. T. Majola; T. D. Bucher; T. R. S. Dinoko; S. S. Ntshangase; E. A. Lawrie; N. A. Khumalo; S. Jongile; L. Mdletshe; R. A. Bark; N. Erasmus; P. Jones; B. V. Kheswa; J. J. Lawrie; L. Makhathini; K. L. Malatji; B. Maqabuka; S. P. Noncolela; J. Ndayishimye; O. Shirinda; B. R. Zikhali; P. L. Masiteng

doi:10.1140/epja/i2019-12866-3

2021 Impact factor 3.131

Hadrons and Nuclei

Eur. Phys. J. A (2019) 55: 178
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2019-12866-3

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

New collective structures in the ¹⁶³Yb nucleus

M. A. Sithole¹^,2^*, J. F. Sharpey Schafer¹, S. N. T. Majola²^,3^,4, T. D. Bucher²^,5, T. R. S. Dinoko²^,6, S. S. Ntshangase³, E. A. Lawrie²^,1, N. A. Khumalo¹, S. Jongile²^,3^,5, L. Mdletshe²^,3, R. A. Bark², N. Erasmus¹^,2, P. Jones², B. V. Kheswa²^,4, J. J. Lawrie², L. Makhathini²^,5, K. L. Malatji²^,5, B. Maqabuka¹^,2, S. P. Noncolela¹^,2, J. Ndayishimye², O. Shirinda²^,5, B. R. Zikhali¹^,2^,3 and P. L. Masiteng⁴

¹ University of the Western Cape, Department of Physics, P/B X17, 7535, Bellville, South Africa
² iThemba Laboratory for Accelerator Based Sciences, National Research Foundation, PO Box 722, 7129, Somerset-West, South Africa
³ University of Zululand, Department of Physics, P/B X1001, 3886, KwaDlangezwa, South Africa
⁴ University of Johannesburg, Department of Physics, PO Box 524, 2006, Auckland Park, South Africa
⁵ University of Stellenbosch, Department of Physics, P/B X1, 7602, Matieland, South Africa
⁶ RF Section, NMISA, Lynnwood Ridge, P/B X34, 0040, Pretoria, South Africa

^* e-mail: sitholemakuhaneabel@gmail.com

Received: 10 April 2019
Accepted: 26 August 2019
Published online: 17 October 2019

Abstract

The ¹⁵²Sm(¹⁶O, 5n)¹⁶³Yb reaction at a beam energy of 93 MeV was used to study the excited states of ¹⁶³Yb with the AFRODITE -ray spectrometer at iThemba LABS. The level scheme of ¹⁶³Yb has been extended and new rotational bands established. The band based on the ground-state has been extended from a spin of 11/2^- to spin 43/2^-. A high-K band based on the neutron [505]11/2^- Nilsson orbital has been observed and is reported for the first time in this work. Additional new states in ¹⁶³Yb were observed which all decay to the yrast band. Some of these states are placed in a sequence which is conjectured to be a band involving a coupling with the i _13/2[642]5/2⁺ neutron orbital. The band structures are discussed with reference to Cranked Shell Model (CSM) calculations and a systematic comparison with the neighbouring nuclei.