Quadrupole moment of the yrast superdeformed band in144Gd

Abstract

A mean lifetime measurement using the Doppler shift attenuation method has been performed at GASP in order to measure the quadrupole moment of the yrast superdeformed band of ${}^{144}\mathrm{Gd}$. The extracted intrinsic quadrupole moment above the backbending, ${Q}_{0}{=13.7}_{\ensuremath{-}0.9}^{+1.1} e$ b, is in nice agreement with cranked shell model predictions. To fit the data properly below the backbending a smaller ${Q}_{0}$ value is required ${(11.6}_{\ensuremath{-}1.0}^{+1.4})e$ b. This is consistent with the predicted lower deformation in the second well for the configuration without high-$N$ $(\ensuremath{\pi}N=6$ and $\ensuremath{\nu}N=7)$ intruder orbitals occupied.