First evidence for the hyperdeformed nuclear shape at high angular momentum

Experimental Evidence for Hyperdeformed States in U Isotopes

“…One of the most exciting aspects of research on nuclear shapes in recent years is the study of superdeformed (SD) and search for hyperdeformed ( HD) nuclear shapes with a ratio of 2:1 and 3:1 for the long to short axis in deformed nuclei, respectively [1][2][3]. Although one of the main goals of a very large community with 4p g-arrays such as GAMMASPHERE or EUROBALL is to search for HD states, up to now only some signs of HD rotational bands have been found, but no discrete HD levels have been identified.…”

Chain Configurations in Light Nuclei

“…Thus the adiabaticity condition in this model ω rot ≪ ω osc is fulfilled to a reasonably good extent and a higher angular momentum would break it. As was shown in [15] the maximal angular momentum of the hyperdeformed nucleus 152 Dy is around 100 . According to [16] this value is in good agreement with drop model's prediction for rotation nuclei.…”

Rotating hyperdeformed states in light nuclear systems

“…Resonances observed in the excitation functions of some reactions between light nuclei as well as the numerous detected superdeformed bands are also indications of the existence of rotating deformed stabilized configurations in the 36 Ar, 40 Ca, 44 Ti, 48 Cr and 56 Ni nuclei [4][5][6][7][8][9]. For heavier nuclear systems the situation is less clear since evidence of the formation of high spin hyperdeformed structures in the 37 Cl+ 120 Sn and 51 V+ 100 Mo reactions has been advanced [10,11] before concluding that there is inconsistency with the properties of a band structure [12]. For these masses it had been rather assumed that very high spin states would not be populated since the fission decay mode would be dominant.…”