Comment on "Double-octupole excitations in the N=84 nuclei 144Nd and 146Sm"

Abstract

Results of proton and electron inelastic scattering suggest that the interpretation of the ${5}_{1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$-${7}_{1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$-${9}_{1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ sequence in $^{144}\mathrm{Nd}$ as simple quadrupole-octupole-coupled states neglects large \ensuremath{\nu}(${\mathit{f}}_{7/2}$${\mathit{i}}_{13/2}$${)}_{5,7,9}$ components and, therefore, that the interpretation of the ${12}^{+}$ state at 4354 keV as a double-octupole-phonon state (${6}_{1}^{+}$\ensuremath{\bigotimes}octupole\ensuremath{\bigotimes}octupole) given by Bargioni et al. [Phys. Rev. C 51, R1057 (1995)] may be too simple. It is suggested that measurements of the ${9}_{1}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ state via single-neutron-stripping reactions and intermediate energy proton scattering can help determine the underlying structure of the 4354 keV state. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.