Excitation energies of superdeformed states in 196Pb: towards a systematic study of the second well in Pb isotopes

Abstract

The excitation energy of the lowest-energy superdeformed band in 196Pb is established using the techniques of time-correlated γ-ray spectroscopy. Together with previous measurements on 192Pb and 194Pb, this result allows superdeformed excitation energies, binding energies, and two-proton and two-neutron separation energies to be studied systematically, providing stringent tests for current nuclear models. The results are examined for evidence of a “superdeformed shell gap.”