Band structures and proton-neutron interactions in 174Ta

Abstract

Six rotational bands in the odd-odd nucleus 174Ta have been populated with the 160Gd( 19F,5n) reaction. High-spin states were identified using the NORDBALL array. Both signatures of the doubly decoupled π 1 2 − [541] ⊗ ν 1 2 − [521] band and semi-decoupled π 1 2 − [541] ⊗ ν 7 2 − [633] band are observed, in addition to the high-K couplings of the π 9 2 − [514] ⊗ ν 7 2 + [633] , π 9 2 − [514] ⊗ ν 5 2 − [512] , π 7 2 + [404] ⊗ ν 7 2 + [633] , and π 5 2 + [402] ⊗ ν 5 2 − [512] configurations. The signature splitting of the π 1 2 − [541] ⊗ ν 7 2 + [633] band is inverted from the expected splitting, and this is interpreted as being due to a residual proton-neutron interaction. It is shown empirically that this interaction, together with deformation changes, can account for the increased crossing frequency associated with the alignment of i 13 2 neutrons in the π 1 2 − [541] bands of odd-Z nuclei.