Superdeformation in the A=150 and A=190 regions

Abstract

Abstract.Superdeformation has been established for over a decade in the mass 150 region and nearly as long in the A=190 region. The first measurements directed at nuclei in these regions concentrated on mapping out the superdeformed (SD) islands by identifying SD rotational bands in~-ray coincidence data. These early studies provided new insights into the physics of superdeformation, but also raised unexpected issues. The new gamma-ray arrays (Gammasphere, Eurogam/Euroball and Gasp) have provided a wealth of new data on properties of SD states in these two mass regions. This paper highlights some of the more recent results from the large arrays which have addressed the outstandhg issues in the field, namely, AI= 4 staggering, identical bands, SD vibrational bands, and questions about the feeding into and the decay out of the SD well.