First observation of excited states in the 110Mo nucleus

Abstract

The ground-state band in 110Mo has been observed for the first time. The band, comprising six levels, has been populated in the spontaneous fission of 248Cm and studied by means of prompt \(\gamma\)-ray spectroscopy using the EUROGAM2 array. The ratio \(E_{\rm exc}(4^ + )/ E_{\rm exc}(2^ + )\) suggests that the deformation of 110Mo is smaller than that in 108Mo but may stabilize at higher neutron number, where an oblate shape is expected. The new data suggests that the deformation of Sr and Zr isotopes decreases above neutron number N = 64.